Tonga business visa for setting up a business

The business visa is for a non-Tongan citizen or a foreign company that wants to set up a business in Tonga. Any foreign national holding a Tongan visitor's visa is prohibited from undertaking business activities in the Kingdom, and the business visa must be applied for before entry. Policies on which markets are open to foreign investment are set by the Ministry of Labour, Commerce and Industries, not by Immigration, so investors are advised to contact MLCI first about the business markets available to them.

The checklist requires the completed form, two photos per applicant, the signed declaration, a passport valid for the visa period, a medical report within six months, a police clearance within three months for anyone over 16, two character references and an MLCI letter of support. Renewals add an Inland Revenue letter on tax history.

For stays of two years or more, the Embassy in Beijing adds a business plan, a letter of support from the Deputy Secretary of MLCI, evidence of the financial investment such as bank statements or references from bankers or creditors, the company registration, business licence and share certificates, and any licence the specific business needs under Tongan law, for example Board of Health registration to open a medical practice. Foreign documents may be originals or certified copies issued by recognised authorities, with an English translation attached; supply copies if you want originals returned. Incomplete applications may be delayed or rejected.

The checklist fee is TOP 230; the Embassy in Beijing charges USD 345 in cash or by money order. A visitor who did not give advance written notice of business intentions pays TOP 1,150 to adjust to a business visa, the same amount charged for overstaying, and the Embassy's visitor page quotes T$1,180. The fee checklists republished by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in January 2025 still carry the amounts dated 2006 and 2011, and the Embassy in Beijing quotes its own USD fees; confirm the current amount with the Immigration Division before paying.

Processing can take up to one month. Immigration will not consider an application without MLCI support and may inspect the business for genuineness. If the investment is in an established business, the Immigration Division may inspect the current operation together with MLCI and ask how many Tongans it employs.

Long-stay visas are entry permits under section 9 of the Immigration Act. The Principal Immigration Officer may attach conditions on the security to be provided, the occupation the holder may exercise and the person who may employ them, may vary those conditions and may extend the permit. A person refused an entry permit can appeal by written petition to the Prime Minister within 30 days of notification; the Prime Minister's decision is final.