Solomon Islands tourist visa

Solomon Islands has reciprocal visa exemption arrangements with the European Union (except Ireland), the United Arab Emirates, the People's Republic of China, India, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Japan. Nationals of other countries must hold an approved tourist permit or visa before boarding. The rules apply to everyone: under regulation 13(1) of the Immigration Regulation 2013 the Director must be satisfied that you are a genuine visitor with sufficient means of support and you must hold a grant letter signed by the Director.

The 30-day tourist permit is meant for short holidays, sightseeing, cruises or recreation. You may enter only once during the 30 days, the period runs from your arrival, and you must leave before it ends; anyone who wants longer must apply for the tourist visa instead. The permit itself is free, but the USD 50 online lodgement fee applies.

The tourist visa covers sightseeing, leisure, tours and holidays for people who will not engage in business, employment or study. It costs USD 50 plus the USD 50 lodgement fee, allows three months per entry and multiple entries, and is valid for one year. The Immigration (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 list the same USD 50 administration fee and USD 50 service fee for the tourist sub-class.

Upload the passport bio page (valid for more than six months, otherwise entry may be refused), a cover letter on the purpose of the visit addressed to the Director, Solomon Islands Immigration Division, Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Labour and Immigration, PO Box G26, Honiara, a return or onward ticket, a pre-booked hotel confirmation if you stay in a hotel, and evidence of sufficient funds. Attaching every document at once avoids delays.

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.

The 30-day permit cannot be extended; switch to the tourist visa if you need longer. Tourist visa holders may ask for an extension, submitted well before the current entry permit expires: pay USD 100 at the Finance and Treasury cashier in Honiara and hand the application, with the receipt, to the Immigration visa service counter. Overstaying can lead to penalties or future entry restrictions. A visitor who later qualifies for another visa pays a conversion fee set in Schedule 2 of the 2025 regulations, for example USD 180 to move to a family relationship visa or USD 1,208 to a long-term employment visa.

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.