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Republic of Palau · investor

Investor Visa — Foreign Investment Approval Certificate

By · Last reviewed:

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

Requires a Foreign Investment Approval Certificate and Board-certified ownership of at least 25%; up to four visas may relate to one certificate.

Foreign Investment Approval Certificate and Board-certified equity requiredDoes not lead to permanent residencyUp to five years, never beyond the Foreign Investment Approval Certificate term; actual grant and passport limits applyIn 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
USD 50 Investor Visa issuance fee under Regulation 802. This is not the investment amount or the total cost of a Foreign Investment Approval Certificate, business licensing, documents, taxes or other services. No universal minimum capital amount was established by the visa provision.
Typical duration
Up to five years, never beyond the Foreign Investment Approval Certificate term; actual grant and passport limits apply
Required support
Foreign Investment Approval Certificate and Board-certified equity required
Leads to permanent residency
No
Reviewed Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, Ministry of Finance ↗

In short

Requires a Foreign Investment Approval Certificate and Board-certified ownership of at least 25%; up to four visas may relate to one certificate. 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/investor-visa#answer

What is the Investor Visa — Foreign Investment Approval Certificate in Republic of Palau?

Foreign Investment Approval Certificate and Board-certified equity required. Use the actual Palau category and authority process. Indicative government fees are USD 50 Investor Visa issuance fee under Regulation 802. This is not the investment amount or the total cost of a Foreign Investment Approval Certificate, business licensing, documents, taxes or other services. No universal minimum capital amount was established by the visa provision; 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, never beyond the Foreign Investment Approval Certificate term; actual grant and passport limits apply. 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

Regulation 307 provides an Investor Visa for a holder of a Foreign Investment Approval Certificate who is certified by the Foreign Investment Board as owning at least a 25% equity interest. No more than four such visas may be current for one certificate. This business-investment permission is separate from the Elite Resident property scheme; a property purchase or Digital Residency card does not supply the qualifying certificate or equity certification.

Additional sources

Eligibility

Typical criteria

Common blockers

Typical evidence

Application pathway

  1. Check the route fit

    Obtain the actual Foreign Investment Approval Certificate and Board certification; confirm qualifying business and any capital/licensing rules with the competent authority.

  2. Build the evidence pack

    Confirm the certificate expiry and number of current visas against it.

  3. Submit through the official channel

    Use the current Investor form and authority-confirmed checklist; lodge with Immigration and obtain required travel approval.

  4. After approval

    Follow business/labor/tax conditions and apply for eligible renewal at least seven days before expiry; maintain the underlying certificate.

After approval: prepare for your next step

For Investor Visa — Foreign Investment Approval Certificate, 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 whether employment, self-employment, remote work or study is permitted under the status granted. Do not infer unrestricted work rights from the absence of an employer sponsor.
  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 Investor Visa — Foreign Investment Approval Certificate 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 ↗

    Read the Investor category and confirm the actual certificate, equity, filing and checklist requirements.

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

  2. Official guidanceApplicant
    Read Investor Visa application — updated 12 August 2026 ↗

    Read the current Investor Visa form; downloading it does not submit a case.

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

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Frequently asked questions

Does USD 50 buy residence or citizenship?+

No. USD 50 is the visa issuance fee. The qualifying business approval, certified equity, licensing and other costs are separate. This is not citizenship or an automatic permanent-residence grant.

Is a property purchase enough?+

Not for this visa. It requires the Foreign Investment Approval Certificate and Board-certified equity. The separate Elite Resident scheme has different statutory terms and unconfirmed current operational intake.

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

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