Solomon Islands visa for visiting relatives and friends

This visitor sub-class is intended for people visiting relatives and friends residing in Solomon Islands, as opposed to the tourist visa for sightseeing and holidays. It is only for family and friend visits and is not valid for employment or business-related activities. Nationals of countries without a visa exemption arrangement apply for this visa before travelling.

Under regulation 13(1) of the Immigration Regulation 2013 the Director must be satisfied that you are a genuine visitor and that you have sufficient means of support during the visit, and you must hold a letter of authority (grant letter) signed by the Director. It is a condition of every visitor visa that the holder must not work in Solomon Islands, whether paid or not. Under section 23 of the Immigration Act 2012 there is a character concern if a person has a record of serious criminal conduct, has more than one conviction anywhere, is a threat to national security or is linked to terrorism, people trafficking, child sex offences or drug smuggling, or was acquitted on grounds of unsoundness of mind and detained. Under section 21 the Director may cancel a visa for a character concern or where it was obtained by fraud or false documents.

Submit a copy of the passport bio page, evidence of funds to support yourself, the return or onward air ticket and a letter from your local sponsor, the family member or friend in Solomon Islands. Letters are addressed to the Director, Solomon Islands Immigration Division, Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Labour and Immigration, PO Box G26, Honiara. Your passport should be valid for at least six months, and you should have genuine reasons for the visit.

The visa page lists a USD 50 visa fee and a USD 50 online lodgement fee; Schedule 1 of the Immigration (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 lists a USD 50 administration fee for this sub-class with no separate service fee, and a USD 100 extension fee. Each entry allows three months and the visa is valid for one year with multiple entries.

An extension can be granted by renewing before the visa expires: submit the extension application at the Immigration visa service counter and pay USD 100 (SBD 800) at the Finance and Treasury cashier while you are in Solomon Islands. All extension applications should be lodged well before the current entry permit ends.

Applications and payments are made electronically through the eVisa portal; under regulation 9 of the fee regulations as amended in 2025, the Immigration Division may accept a manual application only in exceptional cases such as a system outage or an applicant with limited access to electronic platforms. You register an account with an active email address, select the correct visa class (the portal highlights the first class by default), register the application and pay by Mastercard or Visa; the receipt and all updates arrive by email.

The visa is valid from the date you enter if you apply from abroad, or from the grant date if you apply inside Solomon Islands; the expiry date is stamped in your passport on entry and you must show the grant letter.