Palau resident visa

The resident visa is discretionary. The Director weighs the purpose of the foreign national's presence in Palau, whether there are dependants who may lawfully stay, the applicant's ability to support himself or herself, and other factors relating to the best interests of the Republic. The application form notes that US, FSM and Marshall Islands citizens may also apply for it.

Under the Immigration Regulations, anyone applying for an FG/IOR, government, student, temporary, missionary, resident or dependent visa also gives the Director a police clearance from the Palau Bureau of Public Safety and from the place of residence, a sworn statement of never having been convicted of a felony, proof of financial responsibility, a medical report stating whether the applicant has any communicable disease, a statement of the purpose of the stay and two recent photographs, plus anything else showing that the visa is in the best interest of the Republic.

Provide a physical examination report, a police clearance from your current place of residence, a notarised sworn statement that you have never been convicted of a felony, a notarised statement of the purpose of your presence (new applicants), a bank statement showing a legitimate source of income, a notarised lease agreement, one 2 by 2 inch photo, a passport copy, a notarised monthly income and expenditure form available from the office, and, for new applicants, a notarised release letter from a former employer and a consent letter from the employer.

The resident visa costs 200 US dollars. Applications are lodged at the Division of Immigration in Koror or by email, cannot be made on arrival, and generally take 5 to 10 working days once complete.

The visa application form (revised June 2022) asks for the visa type, the address in Palau, citizenship, passport details, occupation, the sponsor's name and address, marital status and any earlier Palau entry permits and whether they were granted, denied or revoked. The applicant describes the purpose of entry in detail, states the expected date and carrier of arrival and the length of stay, and certifies that he or she will leave Palau by the first available transport at his or her own expense. Since January 2017 every listed document must be attached, incomplete files are not accepted, and a complete application needs about ten working days; the page gives 5 to 10 working days in general. Applicants should check that the receiving officer fills in the received box on the first page of the form.

Apply to renew at the Division of Immigration at least seven days before the visa expires. The Director may revoke a visa if the holder no longer meets the requirements of the class, under 13 PNC section 1006.

Separately, the Palau National Code provides for an elite resident visa of ten years with unlimited multiple entries, renewable every ten years, for a foreign national who has bought or leased a dwelling from a Palauan citizen, clan, family or Palauan-owned entity for at least 250,000 US dollars paid in cash. The law sets a non-refundable fee of 20,000 dollars (10,000 dollars to renew), caps holders at 1,000, requires full health insurance and an annual proof of means, and bars holders from labor permits. The Division of Immigration states that the Minister of Finance is still preparing the regulations needed to apply it.