Residence Permit - Spouse of a Botswana Citizen

Overview

If you are married to a Botswana citizen, this is the residence route built around that relationship. It is the spouse-of-a-citizen category of the residence permit, granted by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship to the foreign spouse of a Botswana national on the basis of a genuine, documented marriage. Because the relationship to a citizen provides a strong and durable basis to live in Botswana - and can support a later permanent residence or citizenship application - this route is treated as leading to settlement. Good to know: the permit rests on the marriage being genuine and documented, and you apply through the same residence permit process, choosing the spouse category.

Eligibility

Application pathway

1. 01

   Check the route fit

   Confirm your marriage to a Botswana citizen and that the spouse-of-a-citizen residence category fits you on the official gov.bw page.

2. 02

   Build the evidence pack

   Gather the marriage certificate, the citizen spouse's documents and your passport.

3. 03

   Submit through the official channel

   Submit the residence permit application in the spouse category through the official Department of Immigration and Citizenship process.

4. 04

   After approval

   Hold the permit, keep it valid, and consider the longer-term permanent residence or citizenship routes the marriage can support over time.

Also explored by

Compare Republic of Botswana with

• 🇨🇻 Republic of Cabo Verde
• 🇨🇮 Republic of Cote d'Ivoire
• 🇨🇰 Cook Islands (self-governing country in free association with New Zealand)

Related routes

• 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.

• Residence Permit - Dependants

  For dependent family members of someone living in Botswana: this category of the residence permit lets dependants, including younger adults (18-25) and older relatives (65+), reside on the basis of their sponsor, applied for through the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.

• 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.