Zambia spouse permit

The permit is issued to the spouse of a Zambian citizen, of an established resident holding a certificate of status, or of a residence permit holder. Spouses of employment or investor permit holders are instead added to that permit by variation.

Section 23 of the Immigration and Deportation Act originally covered spouses of citizens and established residents; the 2016 amendment added spouses of residence permit holders. The application is made through the eServices portal, and the foreign spouse enters on a visa or visa-free, according to nationality.

A covering letter from the applicant to the Director General of Immigration, a consent letter from the spouse supporting the application, proof of the spouse's status, a certified marriage certificate, a certified passport copy with the last Zambian endorsement stamp, a photo, proof of sustenance and the fee.

The 2024 fee table lists ZMW 3,000 for issuance, ZMW 6,000 for renewal, ZMW 3,000 for a duplicate or a variation, and ZMW 2,000 to record a new passport. Card payments add about one per cent and mobile-money payments about half a per cent.

A person who has held a spouse permit for at least five years can apply for a residence permit, which confers permanent residence in Zambia.

Renewal requires a covering letter, a fresh consent letter from the spouse and the fee, which is ZMW 6,000 in the 2024 table.

Spouses of foreigners on employment or investor permits are not issued spouse permits; they are added to the main permit by variation, which costs ZMW 4,000 on an employment permit and ZMW 8,000 on an investor's permit in the private-sector table.

A spouse permit does not allow work. The holder may take up employment only after being issued a separate employment permit, which the employer applies for. The Director General may revoke any permit if the holder breaks the law or the permit's conditions, obtained it through false statements, becomes a charge on the state by failing to support themselves and their dependants, or is likely to endanger peace and good order; this is one reason proof of sustenance is part of the application.

Under section 10 of the Immigration and Deportation Act, an immigration officer who takes a decision that adversely affects you must tell you the reasons and give you at least 48 hours to make representations; the officer then has 14 days to reply. You may appeal to the Minister of Home Affairs within 48 hours of that decision, and the Minister, after consulting the Director General, may reverse or modify it within ten days. A further appeal to a court must be lodged within 48 hours of the Minister's decision; without an appeal the decision is final.