Timor-Leste residence permit

Article 41 of the law lets some applicants apply for the permit without a residence visa: people eligible for family reunification, documented missionaries applying for a Type B permit, adult children of residents who have lived in the country since the age of ten, adults born in Timor-Leste who have lived there since before ten, former Timorese nationals resident for the last ten years, parents of minor Timorese or resident children, people who served the State under a Special Stay Authorization for five years, and those who have entered and stayed legally on work, business or temporary stay visas for the last five years.

This visa lets a foreigner enter and remain in Timor-Leste in order to apply for a temporary residence permit, either to work or carry out another professional activity or to join family members. The applicant must show an intention to reside permanently, sufficient means of subsistence, suitable accommodation, and good health and character. For professional activity the authorities also weigh the need for skilled labour, technology transfer and the creation of jobs and training for Timorese nationals; the Government can cap the number of foreign workers and close certain sectors to foreigners by resolution.

The Temporary Resident Permit Type A is granted for professional activity, to spouses married to a Timorese citizen for two to five years, for family reunification, to victims of trafficking or migrant smuggling, and on exceptional or humanitarian grounds. Applicants must be in Timor-Leste, hold a valid travel document, have no conviction exceeding one year of prison, be in good health, show the intention to reside permanently and adequate accommodation and subsistence, and normally hold a Visa to Establish Residence. Business persons add their personal and company tax identification numbers, a tax clearance certificate, the opinion or recommendation letter (parecer), the company registration certificate and, where relevant, the employment contract. The application is lodged in person in Dili with the form and a USD 100 fee.

Under Articles 40 and 46 of the Law on Migration and Asylum, the decision on a Visa to Establish Residence must be taken within 30 working days. For professional activity, a reasoned opinion is required from the government bodies that supervise private investment and employment, which must respond within 15 working days; if they do not, their silence counts as approval. The visa costs USD 50, is valid 90 days with multiple entries and is applied for at the Migration Service headquarters in Dili.

The Type A permit gives two years of stay with multiple entries, allows work and study, and is renewable on equal terms for USD 100. A replacement resident card costs USD 25. A separate Type B permit, valid up to five years, exists for foreign missionaries under Parliament Resolution 18/2015, initiated through the Apostolic Nunciature in Dili.