Sudan business and investment visa: invitation letters and timing

Sudanese embassies treat business and investment trips as a separate category. The embassy in Washington notes that its entry visas are issued mainly for business and official travel, and groups business, work and humanitarian visas under one set of requirements. In Berlin and The Hague the investment visa needs a letter from the applicant's company abroad and an invitation from a company in Sudan, and the Sudanese company submits the application through the Ministry of Interior.

Companies, non-governmental organisations and private persons in Sudan apply for foreigners' entry visas at the Ministry of Interior, while government agencies route their requests through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Employees of international organisations working in Sudan have their visas requested by their Khartoum office from the Protocol Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, not through an embassy.

According to the Berlin embassy, the letter from your own company must describe the business, state that the company takes financial and medical responsibility for you and provides your accommodation, and list your business appointments and intentions. The invitation from the Sudanese company must state the nature of the business, the dates and contact details. The Washington embassy asks for a sponsor letter covering the type of activity, the length of stay, financial responsibility and references in Sudan, and does not accept sponsorship letters from uncertified companies.

Add the general documents: the application form with full sponsor details, one photo, and a passport valid for at least six months with three blank pages.

A business visa costs EUR 80 at the embassy in Berlin; multiple-entry visas cost EUR 480 for six months and EUR 960 for a year, which may suit frequent business travellers. The Washington embassy charges USD 154 and asks for up to 10 working days, accepting money orders and company or cashier's cheques, or cash for walk-in applicants. Berlin and The Hague quote two to three weeks for an investment visa. Fees are not refunded if the application is refused.

Your Sudanese partner applies to the Ministry of Interior for the entry permit, attaching its invitation. Once approved, the embassy receives the permit through official channels and you submit your documents. Applications to The Hague are made through an online form signed electronically, with supporting files uploaded.

A business visa does not allow you to take up employment. The authorities are running inspections of foreign workers, and a committee in Khartoum has warned that it will act against anyone who employs or houses irregular foreigners. For longer stays, the General Directorate of Passports and Immigration handles residence permits and entry and exit permits for foreigners through its Aliens Affairs Department, which was relaunched in Khartoum State in February 2026. Official Sudanese sources reviewed do not publish a registration deadline, document list or fee for short stays, so ask your sponsor or the department after arrival how to regularise your stay.