Cameroon work visa: the long-stay visa for employees and the self-employed

Decree No. 2023/147 lists two groups of foreign workers among foreigners in residence. Contract workers are employees of private companies working in Cameroon, foreigners working in the public or semi-public sector under an employment contract, and technical assistance staff. Independent workers are people who practise, on their own account, a liberal, commercial, industrial, agricultural, pastoral, cultural or craft profession. Both need the long-stay visa, which the decree identifies as the only visa that opens the right to a gainful or professional activity.

The decree also prohibits switching a visa from one category to another, so a person who enters on a short-stay business visa and then accepts a job must leave and apply for the long-stay visa; the short-stay visa cannot be converted in Cameroon.

Article 36 of the decree makes an employment contract approved by the minister in charge of employment a condition of the long-stay visa for anyone who wants to take up salaried work. The approval is obtained in Cameroon by the employer before the visa request; the London High Commission's checklist repeats this requirement for applicants who wish to work. Cameroon's official visa sources do not publish the approval procedure, its fee or its timeline, so ask your employer to confirm that the approved contract is in hand before you pay the visa fee.

Self-employed applicants, investors who will run their own activity and liberal professions provide instead the authorisation issued by the competent authority to practise the profession or to promote the agricultural, pastoral, industrial, commercial, artistic or other activity, where such an authorisation is required. For long business stays, the Washington checklist also asks for a company letter guaranteeing financial and legal responsibility for a stay of more than six months, a partner's letter legalised by the immigration or police authorities and a business contract signed off by the authorities.

Besides the approved contract or professional authorisation, the decree requires a passport valid for more than six months, a ticket or travel document to Cameroon, the vaccination certificates and the repatriation guarantee. For a stay of more than three months the guarantee is a non-transferable return ticket valid at least one year or, for an employee, a written undertaking by the employer to cover repatriation. If the guarantee was not provided with the visa, the worker must pay a refundable deposit to the Cameroonian Treasury within three months of entry, equal at least to a tourist-class fare from Yaoundé to the capital of their country.

Ordinance No. 2024/001 of 20 June 2024 sets 200,000 XAF for the long-stay visa. London shows EUR 305, consistent with this amount, while MINREX's original page and the Washington mission still show the earlier 150,000 XAF level. Pay only the amount charged on evisacam.cm; it is not refunded if the visa is refused.

After entry the worker applies for the carte de séjour, valid two years and renewable, with a certified passport copy bearing the long-stay visa, a certificate of domicile, a special criminal record extract, a valid tax clearance certificate, the stamp duty and proof of the employment. Renewal is requested at least one month before expiry.

Foreign residents also need exit visas. The decree provides a return exit visa valid up to three months, a three-month multiple exit visa, and six-month or one-year multiple exit visas granted with the DGSN's approval to residents who left the country at least three or four times in the previous year. Employees present the employer's guarantee letter and exit authorisation, and directors of public bodies the authorisation of their supervising authority; a tax clearance certificate is also required.