Investor Work Permit

Overview

If you are putting money into a Botswana business rather than taking a salaried job, this is the investor version of the work permit. The work permit gives a non-citizen permission to work in Botswana for reward or to invest in Botswana for profit, and investor applicants typically show their investment, for example through bank statements and business documents, when applying to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship. As with the employment work permit, non-citizens normally hold a residence permit alongside it. It is renewable rather than permanent, so on its own it does not lead to settlement, though years of lawful residence can later support a permanent residence application. Good to know: a separate citizenship-by-investment framework is being developed, but it is not the same thing as this permit - see the note below.

Eligibility

Application pathway

1. 01

   Check the route fit

   Confirm your investment in a Botswana business and that the investor work permit (with a residence permit) is the right route on the official gov.bw page.

2. 02

   Build the evidence pack

   Complete the investor work permit application and gather proof of investment, company documents and your passport.

3. 03

   Submit through the official channel

   Submit the application with supporting documents through the official Department of Immigration and Citizenship process.

4. 04

   After approval

   Hold the permit with a residence permit, keep both valid, and renew before expiry while the investment continues.

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Related routes

• Work Permit

  For non-citizens taking up employment in Botswana: the work permit gives you permission to work for a Botswana employer, applied for through the Department of Immigration and Citizenship on the national portal gov.bw.

• Residence Permit

  For non-citizens who want to live in Botswana beyond a visit: the residence permit is the general permit that lets immigrants, and certain other categories, reside in the country, applied for through the Department of Immigration and Citizenship on gov.bw.

• Permanent Residence

  For non-citizens with a long, lawful stay in Botswana: permanent residence is the discretionary, durable status you can apply for after years in the country, going beyond the renewable work and residence permits.