Find visa optionsFind visas
Menu

Republic of Palau · family

Dependent Visa — qualifying spouse or child

By · Last reviewed:

Guidance updated 15 November 2026. Full-review date shown above.

Qualifying dependent spouses or children need the actual principal-status, relationship and support evidence; worker-family income and employer-consent rules are separate conditions.

Qualifying principal, relationship and support; worker-family employer consent where applicableDoes not lead to permanent residencyUp to five years; a non-Palauan principal’s dependent grant cannot outlast that principal’s visa. Actual exemptions/grants must be checked.In flux
Processing time
BCBP directs the relevant non-visitor visa applications to its office in Koror or its published immigration email, not an assumed arrival application. The website gives indicative 5–10 working days; the linked general form asks for ten working days for complete applications. These are service indications, not a guaranteed decision or permission to board.
Government fees
Base Regulation 802: ordinary Dependent Visa USD 150; Missionary dependent USD 10; no issuance fee for a government employee’s or Palauan’s dependent. USA/FSM/RMI exemptions and current family-branch assessment must be checked; these visa fees do not establish all annual labor-family charges.
Typical duration
Up to five years; a non-Palauan principal’s dependent grant cannot outlast that principal’s visa. Actual exemptions/grants must be checked.
Required support
Qualifying principal, relationship and support; worker-family employer consent where applicable
Leads to permanent residency
No
Reviewed Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, Ministry of Finance ↗

In short

Qualifying dependent spouses or children need the actual principal-status, relationship and support evidence; worker-family income and employer-consent rules are separate conditions. Guidance updated 15 November 2026. Costs, application stages and eligibility conditions are set out with their sources below.

Cite this: https://visaatlas.org/visas/palau/dependent-visa#answer

What is the Dependent Visa — qualifying spouse or child in Republic of Palau?

Qualifying principal, relationship and support; worker-family employer consent where applicable. Use the actual Palau category and authority process. Indicative government fees are Base Regulation 802: ordinary Dependent Visa USD 150; Missionary dependent USD 10; no issuance fee for a government employee’s or Palauan’s dependent. USA/FSM/RMI exemptions and current family-branch assessment must be checked; these visa fees do not establish all annual labor-family charges; indicative processing time is BCBP directs the relevant non-visitor visa applications to its office in Koror or its published immigration email, not an assumed arrival application. The website gives indicative 5–10 working days; the linked general form asks for ten working days for complete applications. These are service indications, not a guaranteed decision or permission to board; typical duration is Up to five years; a non-Palauan principal’s dependent grant cannot outlast that principal’s visa. Actual exemptions/grants must be checked. This route does not lead to permanent residence.

Primary guidance checked with Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, Ministry of Finance on 15 November 2026.

Overview

The Dependent Visa is linked to a person lawfully present in Palau and requires dependency evidence. The current Division guidance describes qualifying spouses and children under 21, with a maximum five-year grant and, for a non-Palauan principal, no longer than that principal’s visa. Dependants of nonresident workers have specific USD 15,000 annual-income and employer-consent conditions. Palauan-family and USA/FSM/RMI cases need separate assessment: the website’s exemption wording differs from its Palauan-spouse application instructions and the linked form.

Additional sources

Eligibility

Typical criteria

Common blockers

Typical evidence

Application pathway

  1. Check the route fit

    Identify the actual principal’s status, nationality and family branch; obtain BCBP confirmation where exemption and form instructions differ.

  2. Build the evidence pack

    Document the relationship, dependency/support and, for worker families, the applicable income and employer consent.

  3. Submit through the official channel

    Lodge the correct category form and supporting records through BCBP and obtain the actual grant or documented exemption.

  4. After approval

    Track the principal’s and dependant’s expiry and any status changes; apply separately for work permission where required.

After approval: prepare for your next step

For Dependent Visa — qualifying spouse or child, use the actual decision and the issuing authority’s instructions to establish what has been granted. A successful application, permission to enter, permission to work and a residence document are not interchangeable.

  1. 1. Check the decision. Confirm the name, passport, status granted, start date and any next action. Resolve an error with the authority before relying on the document for travel or employment.
  2. 2. Establish the travel step. Read any entry window, activation, collection or in-country registration instruction. For an extension or change of status, do not assume leaving the country is required or safe while a further step remains pending.
  3. 3. Confirm what you may do. Check the conditions for your own permission, including work, and keep evidence of the qualifying relationship. The principal applicant’s conditions may differ.
  4. 4. Organise the household. Check each accompanying person’s permission separately, then arrange healthcare, accommodation, access to money and the relevant local registrations. A tax number or bank account does not by itself prove a right to work.
  5. 5. Keep the ongoing conditions visible. Record the actual expiry, renewal process, permitted absences and any duty to report changes. An initial grant does not automatically establish permanent residence or citizenship.
Official Dependent Visa — qualifying spouse or child instructionsBuild my moving plan for this routeMoving to Palau

Official application links

Where to actually go next

Government links only

These are the official pages to use for this route. Open them before preparing documents: the forms, fees, appointment systems, and sponsor steps can change without warning.

  1. Official guidanceApplicant
    Read Immigration Division — current categories, entry and filing guidance ↗

    Check the actual category and current filing instructions before sending a complete application.

    Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, Ministry of Finance · verified

  2. Official guidanceApplicant
    Read Visa application form — actual resident, dependent, student and official categories ↗

    Read the checklist for the selected visa; the PDF does not itself submit the application.

    Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, Ministry of Finance · verified

Also explored by

Indian Filipino Nigerian

Compare Republic of Palau with

Related routes

Frequently asked questions

Does every family need an employer sponsor?+

No universal employer-sponsor register is established for this family category. A qualifying principal and support evidence are central. Nonresident-worker families additionally need the employer’s consent under section 1343; other family branches have their own rules.

Is a Palauan citizen’s spouse automatically visa exempt?+

The current Division page lists dependants of Palauans among exemptions but also provides a Palauan-spouse application process, as does the linked form. Obtain an actual authority assessment and evidence of the applicable status; this guide does not resolve those texts as an automatic exemption for every spouse.

Need tailored advice?

We do not provide legal advice. For an application that depends on your exact circumstances, consult a regulator-listed immigration advisor.

Find a regulated advisor in Palau

How we verified this

We check every figure on this page against the primary government source, record the date it was last checked, and re-check it on a regular schedule. Rules change, so always confirm time-sensitive details with the official source before you rely on them. Visa Atlas is an information-only publication and does not give legal advice.

Primary source: Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, Ministry of Finance

Last checked: 15 November 2026

See the full evidence trail and methodology

CompareFind visa options