Cote d'Ivoire · Relocation guide
Moving to Cote d'Ivoire: permission, arrival and practical setup
Cote d'Ivoire separates biometric entry visas from provisional stay titles and resident cards. A business or eVisa admission is not enough to live and work; the employer must confirm the labour approval alongside the residence record.
Content updated 12 September 2026. Individual source-check dates are listed below.
Separate entry, residence and work permission
Cote d'Ivoire separates biometric entry visas from provisional stay titles and resident cards. A business or eVisa admission is not enough to live and work; the employer must confirm the labour approval alongside the residence record.
A visa waiver, visitor visa or business-visitor permission is not an open right to take employment or provide local services. Remote work also needs an immigration, labour and tax analysis unless the authority publishes a route that expressly covers it.
| Plan | VisaAtlas route | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Provisional stay title | Provisional Stay Title | Complete the in-country stay process after the correct entry. |
| Resident card | Resident Card | Eligibility and work basis remain separate. |
| Spouse resident card | Spouse Resident Card | Confirm the spouse’s work permission. |
Complete the arrival record
Complete the SNEDAI or public-service residence process within the applicable period and retain biometric and collection receipts. Ensure French-language identity, employer and address records match.
Inspect names, passport number, sponsor or purpose, permitted activity and expiry on every issued record. Keep the approval, receipt and a copy of the entry stamp outside the passport.
Make housing support the move
In Abidjan, choose housing after testing bridge and workplace commute, drainage, utilities and school transport. Outside Abidjan, add medical referral and road-access planning.
Verify landlord authority, lease language, deposit, inventory, utilities, internet and early-exit terms. Keep the real address and payment trail for immigration, banking and employer files.
Set up banking, payroll and tax evidence
Ask the bank for its residence-card, address, employer and tax evidence. Preserve payroll, mobile-money and foreign-transfer records rather than mixing company and household funds.
Ask the bank and tax authority for their live identity, permit, address, tax-number and source-of-funds requirements. Immigration status alone does not determine tax residence: retain travel days, payslips, foreign income and business invoices.
Plan each family member and essential service
Spouse and child cards require separate civil evidence and do not answer an adult’s work-authorisation question. Confirm school calendar, French-language support and health cover.
A dependant, student or family residence document should not be treated as an adult work permit without confirmation. Carry legalised civil records, prescriptions, vaccination records and prior-school reports.
Control renewal, changes and current risk
Renew the provisional title or card before expiry and clear employer or status changes with both labour and immigration authorities. Review current northern-border travel advice.
Read current official travel advice for Cote d'Ivoire, the exact region and any overland route before travel. Confirm that insurance covers the location and planned work.
Your moving checklist
Tick off the tasks that apply to you. The timing is a planning order, not a substitute for the deadlines on your permission or an official instruction.
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Sources and checks
The linked authorities set the rules. VisaAtlas explains how the steps fit together; planning suggestions are not a decision on your immigration status, tax residence or entitlement to services.
- Cote d'Ivoire public service: provisional stay titleSource checked 12 September 2026
- UK government: Cote d'Ivoire travel adviceSource checked 12 September 2026