Solomon Islands student visa

The student visa is for international students accepted by a recognised education institution in Solomon Islands who intend to study full time, and for their immediate dependants, such as a spouse or children accompanying them during the course. Study is not allowed on a tourist visa, so international students need this visa before travelling.

Students submit the passport bio page, a police report and medical report from the country of residence and the acceptance or offer letter from the institution, which must confirm enrolment and the duration of the programme. Married students add the marriage certificate. Dependants add a cover letter from the sponsor, who is the primary visa holder, birth certificates for children and proof of their relationship to the main student. The paper version of the application is Form 10.

The visa costs USD 150 plus the USD 50 online fee, matching the USD 50 administration fee and USD 150 service fee for the student sub-class in Schedule 1 of the Immigration (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2025, which sets no extension fee. The visa allows a stay of up to two years with multiple entries, depending on travel arrangements.

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.

Once approved, a grant letter is emailed to you. A visa applied for from abroad is valid from the date you enter Solomon Islands, and you must present a copy of the grant letter to immigration officers on arrival. You can follow up on an application after 30 working days through the contact form, by email to immigration.visas@immigration.gov.sb or by telephone on +677 45650.

Students whose programme continues beyond the visa must re-apply before the visa expires. The visa page states that extensions are not available and a new visa is needed if studies go on beyond the initial period, while also saying an extension of stay may be considered and inviting students to contact the Immigration Division about their circumstances.

The student visa does not grant work rights; anyone seeking employment during the course must obtain a separate permit. 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.