Every way into Haiti.

Nationals of most countries may enter Haiti for tourism without a visa and stay up to 90 days, provided the passport is valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry. A tourist fee of about USD 10 is collected from non-Haitian passport holders on arrival at the airport. The entry does not authorise work or study, and stays beyond 90 days require a residence permit (permis de sejour) from the Direction de l'Immigration et de l'Emigration. A short list of nationalities (including the Dominican Republic, Panama, Colombia, Cuba, Syria, Libya, Iran, Vietnam and Yemen) must instead obtain a visa in advance from a Haitian embassy or consulate.

Government fee

$10

Max stay

90 days

Validity

90 days

Nationals of countries that are not visa-exempt (including the Dominican Republic, Panama, Colombia, Cuba, Syria, Libya, Iran, Vietnam and Yemen) must obtain a tourist visa from a Haitian embassy or consulate before travelling. Fees vary by mission: the Embassy in Washington publishes its rates locally, while the Embassy in Ottawa charges CAD 40 single-entry / CAD 50 multiple-entry. Applications should be filed at least one month before departure. The visa is for tourism only and does not authorise work or study; stays beyond 90 days require a residence permit.

Government fee

$40

Processing time

30 days

Max stay

90 days

Travellers transiting Haiti generally rely on the same regime as short visitors: visa-exempt nationals transit without a visa, while nationals who require a visa to enter must hold the appropriate visa if they pass through immigration. Haiti does not operate a distinct airport-transit visa scheme, and onward travel documents are expected. The arrival tourist fee may apply to those clearing immigration. Given the security situation, most international connectivity runs through Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince with periodic disruptions.

Max stay

1 day

Visa-exempt nationals may attend short business meetings, negotiations and conferences within the 90-day visa-free entry; visa-required nationals apply for a business/visitor visa at a Haitian embassy or consulate, supported by an invitation or business documentation. Multiple-entry visas are available at some missions (for example CAD 50 multiple-entry in Ottawa). A business visit does not authorise local employment, which requires a work permit from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour (MAST) and, for stays over 90 days, a residence permit. Applications should be filed about one month before travel.

Processing time

30 days

Max stay

90 days

Haiti has no separate student-visa class: foreign students enter under the 90-day visa-free regime (or a consular visa if their nationality requires one) and, for study programmes longer than three months, regularise their stay through the residence permit (permis de sejour) from the Direction de l'Immigration et de l'Emigration, supported by proof of enrolment at a Haitian institution. Students who also wish to work need a separate MAST work permit. The permit follows the fiscal-year cycle and is renewed annually.

• Study: Authorises enrolment and study at the admitting institution.
• Residency after 5 years

Validity

365 days

Any foreign national working in Haiti on a non-Haitian travel document, including business people, teachers, missionaries and retirees who work, must obtain a work permit from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour (MAST) in Port-au-Prince. The process is employer-driven and requires a signed employment contract with a legally registered Haitian entity. The permit is valid for one year and is renewable for up to five consecutive years; processing typically takes two to several months. A work permit is held alongside a residence permit (permis de sejour) for stays over 90 days.

• Work: Authorises employment with the sponsoring employer named in the permit.
• Study: Lawful residence alongside the permit allows study.
• Residency after 5 years

Processing time

90 days

Validity

365 days

Haiti runs no passive golden-visa or citizenship-by-investment scheme. Foreign investors instead incorporate a company in Haiti (facilitated by the Centre de Facilitation des Investissements, CFI, whose services are free) and reside on the standard residence permit (permis de sejour), with a work permit from MAST if they take an operational role. The CFI assists with company creation, investment incentives and free-zone admission under Haiti's Investment Code, but there is no minimum-investment threshold that buys residence. Residence is renewed annually on the fiscal-year cycle.

• Study: Lawful residence permits study.
• Residency after 5 years

Validity

365 days

Haiti has no dedicated retirement visa; retirees and other self-supported foreigners who wish to live in Haiti beyond 90 days obtain the general residence permit (permis de sejour) from the Direction de l'Immigration et de l'Emigration. Instead of an employer letter, applicants show a letter from a sponsor or evidence of self-support plus a bank statement from a bank operating in Haiti. The permit is valid for the fiscal year and renewed annually with proof of income-tax payment. There is no published minimum-income threshold.

• Study: Lawful residence permits study.
• Residency after 5 years

Validity

365 days

Native-born Haitians who hold another nationality, and their descendants, are exempt from the Haitian visa requirement to enter and leave Haiti, and foreigners of proven Haitian origin may also enter without a visa. Since the 2012 constitutional amendment, Haiti recognises dual nationality, so persons of Haitian descent can reclaim or hold Haitian nationality without losing their foreign citizenship. Persons who have not formalised Haitian nationality and intend to stay beyond 90 days still register a residence presence with the Direction de l'Immigration; those who establish Haitian nationality are not subject to the permis de sejour at all.

• Study: Persons of Haitian origin may study; full access follows nationality recognition.
• Residency: Leads to recognition/reacquisition of Haitian nationality rather than a residence-permit track.
• Family: Descendants of native-born Haitians share the entry exemption; spouses follow separate naturalisation rules.

A person of Haitian origin who lost or never formalised Haitian nationality may recover or claim it, and since the 2012 amendment this no longer requires renouncing a foreign citizenship. The applicant proves Haitian origin (typically a Haitian birth certificate or certified extract from the National Archives) and files an affidavit declaring the wish to reclaim Haitian nationality, through a Haitian consulate or in Haiti. Where civil records are missing, a proxy can request an Archives extract (about USD 33) or a lawyer can petition a court of first instance; a child born abroad to a Haitian parent can be registered via a late birth declaration. Processing of Archives records typically takes around six months.

• Work: On recognition as a Haitian national, full and unrestricted work rights apply.
• Study: Full access to education as a national.
• Residency: Confers Haitian nationality itself; no residence-permit step is required.
• Family: Children born abroad to a Haitian parent qualify by descent; each is registered individually.

Processing time

180 days

Haitian embassies and consulates issue official and diplomatic visas to government representatives, accredited diplomats and persons travelling on government business, under a special procedure separate from ordinary tourist and business visas. These are distinct visa classes named on consular fee lists (alongside simple and special visas). Requirements include a note verbale or official mission documentation; fees are typically waived or set diplomatically. This route is institutional rather than for general applicants.

• Work: Authorises the official function for which the visa is granted.
• Family: Accompanying family of officials are typically covered under the mission.

Every person over the age of 21 travelling on a non-Haitian travel document who intends to remain in Haiti for more than three months must obtain a residence permit (permis de sejour) from the Direction de l'Immigration et de l'Emigration (DIE) on Avenue John Brown, Port-au-Prince. The permit is valid for the Haitian fiscal year (1 October to 30 September) and is renewed annually, with renewal requiring proof of payment of income tax for the elapsed fiscal year. The domestic fee is about 6,000 HTG. The applicant is interviewed and fingerprinted, and the file is stored in the DIE database. This is the core residence document underlying work, study, retirement and family stays.

• Study: Permits lawful long-term stay including for study purposes.
• Residency after 5 years

Validity

365 days

Under Article 12-1 of the 1987 Constitution, any foreigner may obtain Haitian nationality by naturalisation after five years of continuous residence in Haiti, in accordance with the implementing law. Foreign spouses of Haitian citizens can naturalise on a shorter basis (commonly cited as two years of marriage and residence). The application is filed with the immigration authorities / Ministry of Justice; foreign-language documents must be translated into French and legalised or apostilled. Naturalised Haitians may vote but must wait five years before holding certain public offices. There is no published statutory fee schedule.

• Work: Naturalised nationals have full work rights.
• Study: Full access to education as a national.
• Residency after 5 years
• Family: Spouses qualify on a shorter timeline; minor children may derive status.