Eswatini Temporary Residence Permit

An Eswatini visa is meant only for tourists, volunteers, interns and business visitors staying no longer than one month. The Ministry of Home Affairs states that if the visit will exceed 30 days, or if you travel to Eswatini to study or work, you must apply for a Temporary Residence Permit instead of an entry visa, and that permit requirements differ from visa requirements. Prospective immigrants almost certainly need a permit under the temporary or permanent residence criteria.

The Permits section of the Department of Immigration issues all types of temporary residence permits: work permits, student passes, dependant passes and visitors' passes to expatriates entering for different reasons. A committee sits to decide on each application on merit, according to the stipulated requirements.

The ministry publishes separate requirement lists for employees (Part I), business persons, special passes, dependants, students and visitors' passes. Employees and business persons use application Form 3, dependants Form 6, and students, visitors and special pass applicants Form 10. A special pass is linked to a recent appeal: its applicants attach a copy of that appeal.

Employees submit Form 3, two passport photos, a covering letter from the employer, proof that the post was advertised (a full-page advert), an original, internationally recognised police clearance from the country of origin, copies of qualifications, a medical certificate, the employer's certificate of incorporation (Forms J and C) and a passport copy.

Business persons submit Form 3, the memorandum of association, two photos, a covering letter, an original police clearance from the country of origin, a lease agreement, a medical certificate, the certificate of incorporation with Forms J and C, and a passport copy. Students submit Form 10, two photos, a letter from the school or institution, a support letter from the Ministry of Education, a police clearance if over 18, a medical certificate and a passport copy.

Dependants submit Form 6, a copy of the guardian's residence status document, two photos, a covering letter from the guardian, a copy of the marriage certificate, a police clearance if over 18, a medical certificate and a passport copy. Visitors' passes need Form 10, two photos, a letter from the host, the host's residence status document such as a Temporary Residence Permit, a medical certificate and a passport copy. Every copy must be certified.

Applications are handled by the Permits section at the Ministry of Home Affairs headquarters in Mbabane, and the eVisa portal (evisa.gov.sz) offers both visa and permit applications after registering an account. Each file goes before the permits committee, which decides on merit. The Ministry's contacts are +268 2404 2941, 2404 5880 and 2404 5882, and moha@gov.sz.