Every way into Gabon.

Gabon's electronic entry visa for tourism and short visits, applied for on the DGDI portal (evisa.dgdi.ga / edgdi.dgdi.ga) before travel. The single-entry version covers a stay of 1 to 3 months and the stamp fee is EUR 70, plus an online service/filing fee of about EUR 15; the EUR 70 stamp is paid in cash on arrival at Leon Mba International Airport in Libreville. The e-Visa is valid only for travellers arriving by air through Libreville; it does not authorise work and does not lead to residence. Applicants must present a yellow-fever vaccination certificate, return ticket and hotel booking. Gabon reintroduced visa requirements for G20/EU/US and most other nationalities on 4 October 2023.

Government fee

€70

Processing time

3 days

Max stay

90 days

Validity

90 days

The multiple-entry version of Gabon's DGDI e-Visa, valid for 6 months and allowing several entries for tourism, repeat business trips or family visits. The stamp fee is EUR 185 plus an online filing fee of about EUR 15; the stamp is paid in cash on arrival at Leon Mba International Airport in Libreville. As with all e-Visas, entry is restricted to air arrival via Libreville. It does not authorise local employment or lead to residence. A yellow-fever certificate is mandatory.

Government fee

€185

Processing time

3 days

Max stay

90 days

Validity

180 days

The traditional single-entry consular visa for tourism or private/family visits, issued by Gabonese embassies and consulates for travellers entering by land, sea or air (the e-Visa is restricted to Libreville airport). The standard official fee is about EUR 110 with roughly 7 working days' processing, or about EUR 165 for 24-72h express service; maximum stay is typically 30 days. A yellow-fever certificate is mandatory. The visa does not authorise work and does not lead to residence.

Government fee

€110

Processing time

7 days

Max stay

30 days

Validity

90 days

A short transit visa for travellers passing through Gabon en route to a third country who need to leave the airport transit zone or stay briefly. Nationals of certain countries connecting through Leon Mba International Airport within 24 hours without leaving the airport may transit without a visa, but travellers not on that list must obtain a transit visa. The fee is not separately published (often aligned with the consular short-stay rate) and a confirmed onward ticket and visa for the destination country are required. It does not authorise work or lead to residence.

Processing time

7 days

Max stay

3 days

Validity

30 days

Single-entry consular visa for business purposes such as meetings, negotiations and conferences, issued by Gabonese diplomatic missions. The standard official fee is about EUR 110 (around EUR 165 for express) with roughly 7 working days' processing and a typical maximum stay of 30 days. An invitation from a Gabonese company is normally required. The visa permits business activity but not local employment, and does not lead to residence; the e-Visa is also available for air arrivals via Libreville.

Government fee

€110

Processing time

7 days

Max stay

30 days

Validity

90 days

Foreign students admitted to a recognised Gabonese school, college or university enter on an entry visa supported by proof of enrolment for the academic year, then register at the DGDI for a student temporary residence card (carte de séjour temporaire) within 3 months of arrival. Visas can be issued for 30, 60, 90 or up to 180 working days and are extended through the DGDI Visa Department in Libreville for longer programmes. Required documents include the admission letter, passport valid 6+ months, photos, yellow-fever certificate and proof of means. Government fees for the student card broadly follow the temporary-card scale (about XAF 50,000-200,000).

• Study: Full enrolment at the admitting Gabonese institution.
• Residency after 3 years

Processing time

30 days

Validity

365 days

The first-issue temporary residence card (carte de séjour temporaire) is the standard status for foreign employees, traders and students in their first year in Gabon. It is valid 1 year and renewable, and must be applied for at the DGDI within 3 months of arrival; its establishment is conditioned on payment of personal income tax (IRPP). For employees it follows the work permit (autorisation de travail) issued via the Ministry of Labour. State fees are roughly XAF 50,000-100,000 for CEMAC nationals and XAF 100,000-200,000 for others; processing is about 3-6 weeks. After roughly three years of continuous residence the holder can move to longer cards and ultimately permanent residence.

• Work: Authorises employment with the sponsoring employer, paired with the autorisation de travail.
• Study: Lawful residence permits study.
• Residency after 3 years

Processing time

35 days

Validity

365 days

The work authorisation is the employer-driven permit required for any foreign national to work legally in Gabon. The Gabonese employer initiates the request with the Ministry of Labour, demonstrating that the role requires skills not readily available locally (a labour-market test), and the file is then completed at the DGDI alongside the employee residence card. Processing is typically 1-3 months, and applicants are advised to start about 3 months before arrival. The permit is tied to a specific employer; changing employer requires a new authorisation. Government fees are not publicly fixed.

• Work: Authorises employment with the specific sponsoring employer only.
• Residency after 3 years

Processing time

60 days

Validity

365 days

Adopted by the Council of Ministers on 23 October 2025 and announced by the Presidency on 28 October 2025, this measure grants a permanent resident card to investors who commit at least 10 billion FCFA in Gabon, targeting agro-industry, tourism, green energy and logistics infrastructure. The permanent resident card is valid 10 years. It is positioned to anchor large foreign direct investors long-term; it is a residence (not citizenship-by-investment) programme. Implementing decrees, exact procedures and any family provisions were not yet published in detail as of mid-2026; ANPI-Gabon is the investment one-stop shop. The 10 billion FCFA threshold equals roughly 15 million EUR / 16-17 million USD.

• Work: Permanent residence allows the investor to live and conduct business in Gabon.
• Study: Lawful permanent residence permits study.
• Residency: Grants permanent resident status (10-year card) directly upon qualifying investment.

Validity

3,650 days

Min. investment

FCFA 10,000,000,000

Below the 10 billion FCFA permanent-residence threshold, foreign investors and entrepreneurs set up and run a company in Gabon with support from ANPI-Gabon, the national investment one-stop shop attached to the Presidency, which handles business creation and formalisation. The investor then obtains a long-stay visa and a carte de séjour (typically the temporary then ordinary card) on the basis of the registered business and tax compliance. There is no fixed minimum-investment figure published for this route; the carte de séjour follows the standard state-fee scale and IRPP-payment condition. Time on these cards builds toward permanent residence after about 3 years.

• Work: Authorises operating the declared business in Gabon.
• Study: Lawful residence permits study.
• Residency after 3 years

Validity

730 days

Family members (spouse and minor children) of a foreign national legally residing and working in Gabon can join the resident and obtain their own residence cards through the DGDI. Each dependant enters on a long-stay visa, registers within 3 months of arrival, and receives a temporary or ordinary carte de séjour matched to the sponsor's status. The sponsor must show stable employment/residence and accommodation. Dependants are generally not automatically authorised to work and would need their own work permit. Government fees follow the carte de séjour scale.

• Study: Dependent children may attend school; lawful residence permits study.
• Residency after 3 years
• Family: Designed for the spouse and minor children of the resident.

Processing time

35 days

Validity

365 days

The foreign spouse of a Gabonese citizen can obtain a resident card directly, without first accumulating the years of residence required of other applicants. The card is issued by the DGDI on proof of a recognised marriage to a Gabonese national, is valid up to 5 years and renewable, and gives stable residence and the right to work. State fees broadly follow the resident-card scale; processing is about 3-6 weeks. Long-term, marriage to a Gabonese national is also a basis for naturalisation under Gabonese nationality law.

• Work: Spouse of a Gabonese national may reside and work.
• Study: Lawful residence permits study.
• Residency: Direct resident card; basis for later naturalisation under nationality law.
• Family: Covers the foreign spouse; children of the marriage are documented accordingly.

Processing time

35 days

Validity

1,825 days

The special residence card is issued by the DGDI to diplomats, staff of accredited international organisations and NGOs, and international civil servants posted in Gabon. Its validity tracks the mission or assignment rather than a fixed civilian schedule, and it is granted on the basis of accreditation by the relevant ministry or organisation. State fees and detailed conditions are not published as a standard civilian scale. The status does not follow the ordinary path to permanent residence.

• Work: Work limited to the accredited mission or organisation.
• Study: Lawful residence permits study for the holder and family.
• Family: Accompanying family of accredited staff are documented under the mission.

Processing time

35 days

The long-stay entry visa is required for any stay exceeding 90 days and is the mandatory first step before applying, on arrival in Gabon, for a work permit and/or a residence card (carte de séjour) at the DGDI. It is issued by a Gabonese diplomatic mission on the basis of the underlying purpose (employment contract, study admission, family, investment) and the holder must register with the DGDI within 3 months of arrival to obtain the residence card. The visa itself does not confer the right to work; that derives from the work permit and residence card obtained locally. The entry-visa fee is not separately published.

• Residency after 3 years

Processing time

30 days

Validity

180 days

The resident card is the long-duration residence permit issued by the DGDI to foreigners after extended settled residence in Gabon or to spouses of Gabonese nationals. It is valid 5 years and renewable. Eligibility generally requires more than 5 years of continuous residence (built up through renewals of the temporary and ordinary cards) or marriage to a Gabonese citizen, together with demonstrated social integration. State fees are roughly XAF 150,000-200,000 for CEMAC nationals and XAF 300,000-500,000 for others, with processing of about 3-6 weeks. It gives stable residence and work rights and is a step toward the permanent resident card.

• Work: Stable residence with work rights.
• Study: Lawful residence permits study.
• Residency: This is long-duration residence; a permanent resident card follows after sustained residence and integration.
• Family: Family members hold their own cards; spouses of Gabonese nationals qualify directly.

Processing time

35 days

Validity

1,825 days

The permanent resident card is the most stable status for foreigners settling long-term in Gabon and does not require frequent renewal. It is generally available after about three years of continuous lawful residence (built through renewals of the temporary, ordinary and resident cards) together with demonstrated social and economic integration; spouses of Gabonese nationals and major investors (10 billion FCFA route) reach it on a faster basis. The DGDI handles the file, which typically requires proof of residence, work contracts and tax notices, with processing of about 8-12 weeks. The card is valid up to 10 years and gives full residence and work rights.

• Work: Full residence and work rights without renewing a work permit.
• Study: Education on settled-resident terms.
• Residency: This is permanent residence; naturalisation may follow under Gabonese nationality law.
• Family: Individual card; spouse and children hold their own status.

Processing time

60 days

Validity

3,650 days