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Republic of Palau · study

Student Visa — full-time study and school housing

By · Last reviewed:

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

Full-time students must have school-maintained housing, maintain good standing and provide enrolment/housing proof each semester; the visa is up to one year.

School admission and school-maintained housing requiredDoes not lead to permanent residencyNo more than one year; continuing enrolment, school-maintained housing and good standing requiredIn 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
No Student Visa issuance fee under Regulation 802. Tuition, accommodation, medical/document and other actual costs are separate; confirm the applicable nationality exemption.
Typical duration
No more than one year; continuing enrolment, school-maintained housing and good standing required
Required support
School admission and school-maintained housing required
Leads to permanent residency
No
Reviewed Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, Ministry of Finance ↗

In short

Full-time students must have school-maintained housing, maintain good standing and provide enrolment/housing proof each semester; the visa is up to one year. 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/student-visa#answer

What is the Student Visa — full-time study and school housing in Republic of Palau?

School admission and school-maintained housing required. Use the actual Palau category and authority process. Indicative government fees are No Student Visa issuance fee under Regulation 802. Tuition, accommodation, medical/document and other actual costs are separate; confirm the applicable nationality exemption; 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 No more than one year; continuing enrolment, school-maintained housing and good standing required. 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 310 requires full-time enrolment at a school in Palau and housing maintained by that school. Admission and housing must be proved, good standing maintained and continuing enrolment/housing evidence supplied at the beginning of each semester. The permit may be cancelled if those conditions cease. This is not a general student work allowance or a post-study residence entitlement.

Additional sources

Eligibility

Typical criteria

Common blockers

Typical evidence

Application pathway

  1. Check the route fit

    Confirm the actual school, full-time course and school-maintained housing.

  2. Build the evidence pack

    Prepare the Student form section and admission, schedule, identity and housing evidence; confirm any further requested documents.

  3. Submit through the official channel

    Apply through the stated office/email process before relying on travel or study permission, with any actual nationality-specific advance clearance.

  4. After approval

    Maintain good standing and submit semester proof; renew before expiry if eligible and obtain express written permission before any otherwise prohibited work.

After approval: prepare for your next step

For Student Visa — full-time study and school housing, 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. Coordinate enrolment and attendance with the institution. Check the actual work conditions before accepting a job or freelance work.
  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 Student Visa — full-time study and school housing 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

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Frequently asked questions

Can I rent any private room instead of school housing?+

Regulation 310 specifies housing maintained by the school. Do not substitute an ordinary private lease without an actual authority assessment of the requirement.

How many hours can I work each week?+

No general weekly work allowance was established. Regulation 318 prohibits work under this class unless the Director expressly exempts it in writing. A private job offer or student status alone is insufficient.

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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