Moving to Democratic Republic of the Congo: permission, arrival and practical setup

Separate entry, residence and work permission

The DRC eVisa system describes entry permission, not a complete expatriate work-and-residence chain. A relocation should proceed only after the employer has documented the labour card, establishment visa or residence process with the competent authorities; an airport or flying visa is not work authorisation.

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.

• DRC government eVisa: official FAQ

Complete the arrival record

Keep prior authorisation, entry record and employer documents together and complete the local labour, immigration and address steps promptly. In-person access outside Kinshasa can be disrupted, so the sponsor must own the filing and contingency plan.

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.

• DRC government eVisa: official FAQ

Make housing support the move

Do not select housing until the work location, secure transport, power, water, communications, medical evacuation and shelter arrangements have been risk-assessed. Eastern provinces cannot be treated as an ordinary relocation market.

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

Keep salary, hardship allowances, evacuation funding, tax handling and emergency cash access in writing. Do not transfer a household or business capital on the strength of an eVisa alone.

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.

• DRC government eVisa: official FAQ

Plan each family member and essential service

Family relocation requires a separate security decision, immigration file, school and evacuation plan for every person. A visitor or family entry does not authorise an adult to work.

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.

• DRC government eVisa: official FAQ

Control renewal, changes and current risk

Maintain work, residence and employer records separately and plan for office or transport interruption. FCDO advice current on 12 September 2026 advises against all travel to several provinces and other specified areas and against all but essential travel to additional areas.

Check the live FCDO map and employer security assessment before every move. Eastern DRC is explicitly within against-all-travel advice and UK consular support is severely limited outside Kinshasa; visa approval is not a safety assurance.

• DRC government eVisa: official FAQ
• UK government: Democratic Republic of the Congo travel advice