The official online visa for Côte d'Ivoire, run by SNEDAI on behalf of the immigration authorities. Travellers complete an online pre-enrolment (personal and travel data, contacts in Côte d'Ivoire, and three uploads: passport identity page, return flight reservation, and a letter of invitation or accommodation certificate), pay EUR 73, and receive a barcoded approval within roughly 48 hours. The physical biometric visa (fingerprints captured on arrival) is issued at Félix Houphouët-Boigny International Airport in Abidjan, so the system applies to air arrivals only. The e-visa is generally valid for up to 90 days from issuance; it does not authorise work and does not lead to residence. A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required for entry.
Online pre-enrolment formCompleted SNEDAI e-visa pre-enrolment with personal details, travel dates and contacts in Côte d'Ivoire.
Passport identity pageColour scan of the passport bio-data page; passport valid at least 6 months beyond departure with several blank pages.
Return flight reservationProof of round-trip air ticket or confirmed booking.
Invitation or accommodation proofLetter of invitation (typed, signed, stamped and legalised) or a hotel booking / accommodation certificate.
Passport photographRecent digital identity photo uploaded during pre-enrolment.
Yellow fever vaccination certificateInternational certificate of vaccination against yellow fever.
Visa fee paymentOnline payment of EUR 73 (bank fees included).
Tourist Visa
Côte d'Ivoire Tourist Visa (Consular Biometric Visa)
The short-stay biometric tourist visa issued through Ivorian embassies and consulates (via SNEDAI) for travellers who cannot use the airport e-visa route or who arrive other than by air at Abidjan. It is valid for 1 to 3 months and covers tourism stays of up to 90 days. Applicants attend the consulate for biometric enrolment and provide a hotel booking or proof of funds, a return ticket, and a yellow fever certificate. The consular visa fee is EUR 50 (excluding bank charges) and files are processed within about 48 hours after enrolment. The visa does not authorise work or lead to residence.
Government fee
€50
Processing time
2 days
Max stay
90 days
Validity
90 days
Document checklist (7)
Visa application formCompleted biometric visa application with appointment confirmation and fee receipt.
PassportValid at least 6 months, with photocopies of the first three pages.
Passport photographRecent photo 4.5 x 3.5 cm, less than 6 months old.
Birth certificateOriginal or certified copy of the birth certificate.
Return flight ticketFlight reservation or copy of round-trip ticket.
Accommodation or funds proofHotel booking or evidence of sufficient financial means for the stay.
Transit Visa
Côte d'Ivoire Transit Visa
A short transit visa for travellers passing through Abidjan (Félix Houphouët-Boigny Airport) en route to a third country, for stopovers of less than 72 hours. Applicants who are not visa-exempt or e-visa eligible apply through an Ivorian consulate with an onward ticket and a visa for the final destination where required. The transit visa does not authorise tourism activity, work or residence. The exact transit fee is not separately published; the standard biometric consular fee applies in practice.
Processing time
2 days
Max stay
3 days
Validity
90 days
Document checklist (6)
Visa application formCompleted biometric transit visa application.
PassportValid at least 6 months with blank pages.
Passport photographRecent identity photo.
Onward ticketConfirmed ticket to the final destination beyond Côte d'Ivoire.
Destination visaOptionalVisa or entry authorisation for the onward country, where required.
The biometric business visa for meetings, negotiations, conferences and short professional missions in Côte d'Ivoire, issued through Ivorian consulates (SNEDAI) or as an e-visa for air arrivals at Abidjan. It is valid for 1 to 3 months and allows business activity but not local employment. Applicants provide an invitation letter from an Ivorian company, a hotel reservation and proof of funds, alongside the standard passport, photo and yellow fever certificate. The consular fee is EUR 50 and files are decided within roughly 48 hours after biometric enrolment.
Government fee
€50
Processing time
2 days
Max stay
90 days
Validity
90 days
Document checklist (7)
Visa application formCompleted biometric visa application with appointment and fee receipt.
PassportValid at least 6 months, with photocopies of the first three pages.
Passport photographRecent photo 4.5 x 3.5 cm, less than 6 months old.
Invitation from an Ivorian companyBusiness invitation letter from the host company in Côte d'Ivoire.
Hotel reservationConfirmed hotel booking for the stay.
Proof of financial meansEvidence of funds sufficient for the business trip.
Universities, language courses, internships and exchanges.
Student Visa
Côte d'Ivoire Student Visa and Student Residence Card
Foreign students admitted to an Ivorian higher-education institution enter on a study-purpose biometric visa (proof of university enrolment, accommodation and financial support required) and then regularise their stay in-country with a carte de résident (the student residence title), renewable while enrolled. Non-ECOWAS students staying beyond three months must hold the biometric carte de résident. The entry visa is valid up to 3 months; the residence card is valid up to 5 years (renewed against proof of enrolment and academic progress). Students do not gain general work rights; any employment requires a separate work authorisation.
Study: Enrolment at the admitting Ivorian institution.
Residency: Held via renewable student carte de résident; no fixed statutory PR timeline.
Processing time
2 days
Max stay
90 days
Validity
90 days
Document checklist (7)
Visa application formCompleted biometric long-stay visa application for studies.
PassportValid at least 6 months with blank pages.
University enrolment certificateProof of admission or enrolment at a recognised Ivorian institution.
Proof of accommodationHousing certificate or lease in Côte d'Ivoire.
Proof of financial supportEvidence of scholarship or funds to support the studies.
Foreigners running their own business or commercial activity in Côte d'Ivoire (other than salaried employment) legalise their stay through the biometric carte de résident, which formalises legal presence and allows signing leases, opening bank accounts and conducting commercial activity. Non-ECOWAS nationals residing more than three months must hold the card; it costs 300,000 FCFA for non-ECOWAS nationals (150,000 FCFA for French nationals, 35,000 FCFA for French clergy/cooperants), is valid 5 years, and is issued by ONECI within about 15 days. There is no dedicated passive digital-nomad visa; remote workers and entrepreneurs use this active-residence route.
Work: Authorises the declared commercial/self-employed activity.
Carte de résident applicationONECI online appointment (carteresident.ci) and in-person file submission.
PassportValid passport with the entry visa; passport and visa photocopies mandatory for first applications.
Proof of business activityCompany registration or evidence of the commercial activity carried out in Côte d'Ivoire.
Proof of accommodationLease or property document for residence in Côte d'Ivoire.
Passport photographRecent identity photo for biometric enrolment.
Service fee payment300,000 FCFA (non-ECOWAS) paid at the Resident Card Request Centre on submission day.
Skilled Work Visa
Côte d'Ivoire Work Visa (AGEPE-Approved Employment)
Foreign nationals taking up employment in Côte d'Ivoire must hold an employment contract or hiring letter approved (visé) by the employment authority (historically AGEPE, now within the employment-promotion agency) before admission, after the employer demonstrates the role could not be filled locally. They enter on a residence/work visa valid about three months, then within three months of hiring apply for a work card and the biometric carte de résident. Non-ECOWAS workers staying beyond three months must hold the carte de résident (cost 300,000 FCFA for non-ECOWAS nationals, 150,000 FCFA for French nationals, valid 5 years). The visa fee is not separately published.
Work: Work for the employer named in the AGEPE-approved contract.
Study: Lawful residence permits study alongside work.
Residency: Held via renewable carte de résident (5-year card); no fixed statutory PR/naturalisation count published here.
Max stay
90 days
Validity
90 days
Document checklist (7)
AGEPE-approved employment contractWork contract or hiring letter visa-stamped by the employment authority before recruitment is confirmed.
Visa application formCompleted biometric residence/work visa application.
PassportValid at least 6 months with blank pages.
Diploma or proof of experienceQualification or professional experience matching the position.
Police clearance certificateClean criminal record (casier judiciaire).
Medical certificateCertificate of medical fitness.
Resident card applicationONECI carte de résident file lodged in-country within 3 months of hiring.
Not yet researched
Digital Nomad Visa
Freelancer Visa
Startup / Entrepreneur Visa
Seasonal Work Visa
Intra-Company Transfer Visa
1 route
Invest & Capital
Golden visas, real estate, citizenship by investment, passive income.
Business Investor Visa
Côte d'Ivoire Investor Approval (CEPICI)
Côte d'Ivoire has no passive golden-visa or citizenship-by-investment programme; investor migration runs through a genuine business approved under the Investment Code, administered by CEPICI. Under the approval (agrément) regime, the minimum investment is 200 million FCFA for large enterprises and 50 million FCFA for SMEs (excluding VAT and working capital), granting tax and customs advantages for 5 to 15 years depending on zone. The investor and assigned staff legalise their stay through the carte de résident (300,000 FCFA non-ECOWAS, 5-year card). The min_investment shown is the 50 million FCFA SME floor; the large-enterprise threshold is 200 million FCFA.
Work: Authorises management of the approved investment / business.
Study: Lawful residence permits study.
Residency: Via renewable carte de résident; no investor citizenship route exists.
Validity
1,825 days
Min. investment
F CFA 50,000,000
Document checklist (6)
Investment approval applicationCEPICI agrément file describing the project, sector, zone and capital.
Business plan and financialsProject plan with the qualifying investment amount (50M FCFA SME / 200M FCFA large enterprise).
Company registrationIvorian company incorporation documents (RCCM, statutes).
PassportValid passport of the investor.
Carte de résident applicationONECI resident-card file for the investor and assigned foreign staff.
Proof of accommodationOptionalLease or property document in Côte d'Ivoire.
Not yet researched
Golden Visa (Residence by Investment)
Residence by Real Estate
Citizenship by Investment
Non-Lucrative / Passive Income Visa
No verified routes yet
Retire & Lifestyle
Retirement visas and working holiday schemes.
Not yet researched
Retirement Visa
Working Holiday Visa
2 routes
Family & Origin
Reunification, spouse routes and ancestry-based repatriation.
Family Reunification Visa
Côte d'Ivoire Family Accompaniment / Reunification Residence
Family members joining a foreign national who legally resides and works in Côte d'Ivoire (typically the spouse and minor children of an expatriate employee or investor) enter on a long-stay visa and then obtain their own biometric carte de résident if staying beyond three months. The card is issued by ONECI on proof of the family relationship and the principal's legal residence; it costs 300,000 FCFA for non-ECOWAS nationals and is valid 5 years. There is no separate passive family-investment route; ECOWAS-national family members rely on free-movement residence rights.
Study: Children and dependants may study.
Residency: 5-year renewable resident cards tied to the principal's stay.
Family: Covers the spouse and minor children of the principal resident.
Government fee
F CFA 300,000
Processing time
15 days
Validity
1,825 days
Document checklist (7)
Carte de résident applicationONECI online appointment and in-person submission for each family member.
Proof of family relationshipMarriage or birth certificate linking to the principal resident.
Principal's residence documentCopy of the sponsoring resident's carte de résident and employment proof.
PassportValid passport with entry visa and required photocopies.
Proof of accommodationFamily housing lease or property document.
Passport photographRecent identity photo for biometric enrolment.
Service fee payment300,000 FCFA per non-ECOWAS family member on submission day.
Spouse / Partner Visa
Côte d'Ivoire Spouse of Ivorian National Residence
Foreign spouses of Ivorian citizens (and spouses of legally resident foreigners) regularise their stay through the biometric carte de résident once resident beyond three months. The card is issued by ONECI on proof of the marriage and shared residence; it costs 300,000 FCFA for non-ECOWAS nationals (150,000 FCFA for French nationals) and is valid 5 years. Marriage to an Ivorian national can also open a separate naturalisation route under nationality law, but the residence card itself does not confer citizenship. CEDEAO/ECOWAS-national spouses benefit from free-movement residence rights instead.
Study: Lawful residence permits study.
Residency: 5-year renewable resident card; marriage may separately enable naturalisation under nationality law.
Family: Children obtain their own resident cards / status.
Government fee
F CFA 300,000
Processing time
15 days
Validity
1,825 days
Document checklist (7)
Carte de résident applicationONECI online appointment and in-person submission.
Marriage certificateCertificate proving the marriage to the Ivorian or resident spouse.
Spouse's identity / residence proofIvorian ID card or the resident spouse's residence document.
PassportValid passport with entry visa and photocopies of passport and visa.
Proof of accommodationShared residence lease or property document.
Passport photographRecent identity photo for biometric enrolment.
Service fee payment300,000 FCFA (non-ECOWAS) paid on submission day.
Not yet researched
Dependent Relative Visa
Ancestry / Repatriation
2 routes
Special Categories
Talent, religious, humanitarian, media, official and permanent residence.
Long-Term Residence Permit
ECOWAS Free Movement (CEDEAO Nationals)
Under the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, Residence and Establishment, nationals of the 14 other ECOWAS/CEDEAO member states (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo) enter Côte d'Ivoire visa-free with a valid travel document for up to 90 days. The Protocol's second phase grants the right of residence to seek and carry out employment, and the third phase the right of establishment (still being implemented). ECOWAS nationals are exempt from the non-ECOWAS carte de résident and may obtain an ECOWAS residence card; they may live and work without a standard work visa.
Work: ECOWAS nationals may seek and carry out employment under the free-movement Protocol (second phase).
Study: May study as a free-moving community national.
Residency: Right of residence and establishment under the ECOWAS Protocol; exempt from the non-ECOWAS resident card.
Family: Family members who are ECOWAS nationals enjoy the same free-movement rights.
Government fee
F CFA 0
Max stay
90 days
Document checklist (3)
Valid ECOWAS passport or travel documentPassport or ECOWAS travel certificate of a member-state national.
Proof of purpose (for residence)OptionalEmployment, business or family evidence when applying for an ECOWAS residence card beyond 90 days.
Long-Term Residence Permit
Côte d'Ivoire Carte de Résident (Biometric Residence Card)
The biometric carte de résident is the core residence title for non-ECOWAS foreigners living in Côte d'Ivoire for more than three months, replacing the former temporary residence title (TPS). Issued by the Office National de l'État Civil et de l'Identification (ONECI), it formalises legal presence and lets holders sign leases, open bank accounts and (per the underlying purpose) work or run a business. It costs 300,000 FCFA for non-ECOWAS nationals, 150,000 FCFA for French nationals and 35,000 FCFA for French clergy/cooperants, is valid 5 years, and is processed in about 15 days from submission. Applications are booked online at carteresident.ci. ECOWAS nationals are exempt and use free-movement residence rights.
Work: Work permitted where the residence basis (work/business) authorises it; salaried work still needs an AGEPE-approved contract.
Study: Lawful residence permits study.
Residency: 5-year renewable card; no fixed statutory permanent-residence/naturalisation timeline published here.
Government fee
F CFA 300,000
Processing time
15 days
Validity
1,825 days
Document checklist (7)
Online appointmentBooking via carteresident.ci or by phone before in-person submission.
Passport and visa copiesPhotocopies of the passport identity page and entry visa (mandatory for first applications).
Proof of purpose of stayEmployment contract, business registration, enrolment or marriage proof, per the residence basis.
Proof of accommodationLease or property document in Côte d'Ivoire.
Passport photographRecent identity photo for biometric enrolment.
Translated documentsOptionalCertified French translation of any non-French document.
Service fee payment300,000 FCFA (non-ECOWAS) / 150,000 FCFA (French) paid on submission day.
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