Palau student visa

The applicant must be enrolled as a full-time student at a school in Palau and live in housing maintained by the school. Proof of admission and housing is required, and the student must keep good standing.

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.

The visa application form lists a school acceptance letter, the class schedule, a copy of the passport and one recent 2 by 2 inch photo. All stated requirements must be attached; incomplete applications are not accepted.

Student visas are not available on arrival. Complete and sign the visa application form, attach the documents and lodge them at the Division of Immigration on the second floor of the Ministry of Justice building in downtown Koror, open 8 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday, or by email. Processing generally takes 5 to 10 working days.

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.

Every applicant must be accepted before travel: nationals of the 12 countries in Executive Order 499 also need written pre-clearance before boarding, and all arriving passengers submit the Palau Entry Form no more than 72 hours before departure to receive the QR code shown at check-in and on arrival.

At the start of each semester the student submits proof of continuing enrolment and housing. The visa is cancelled if the student fails to maintain good standing, is dismissed or does not enrol. Renewals are lodged at least seven days before expiry.

Student visa holders may not work in Palau unless the Director exempts them in writing; holders of other visas may work only for the purpose for which their visa was issued. A student who wants to change status to work needs a labor permit from the Bureau of Labor and Human Resources. Students are not on the list of travellers exempt from the 100 US dollar environmental fee charged in air tickets to Palau.