Timor-Leste Timor-Leste — entry & visa requirements
Timor-Leste is visa-exempt for many visitors: EU and Schengen-area citizens get 90 days in any 180-day period, and some ASEAN passports get 30 days for tourism. Other nationalities can often apply for a visa on arrival at official air, land or sea border posts where the Migration Service is present. Anyone previously refused entry or removed, or with unpaid fines, must obtain the visa before travelling. our archive state fees only for specific visa types — US$20 for transit and US$50 for temporary stay.
Who can enter visa-free
Timor-Leste exempts several groups from holding a visa before travel. EU and Timorese citizens travelling visa-free must hold a valid ordinary, diplomatic, service/official or special passport, and the exemption covers any purpose of travel except paid work. Accredited diplomats and UN staff, plus visitors from specified countries and certain officials, also benefit from exemptions.
- To use visa-free travel, EU citizens and Timorese must hold a valid ordinary, diplomatic, service/official or special passport.[2]
- Visa-free travel covers all categories of travellers and purposes — tourism, cultural visits, science, family visits, business — but not paid activity.[2]
- Diplomats and UN staff officially accredited to Timor-Leste are exempt from a visa on first arrival and from any visa or residence permit while accredited.[2]
- Visa exemptions also exist for visitors and other entrants from specified countries, and for officials and diplomats in certain circumstances.[3]
- The EU and Timor-Leste signed a short-stay visa waiver agreement on 26 May 2015.[2]
Visa-exempt by stay length
The length of visa-free stay depends on your passport. EU and Schengen-area citizens may stay 90 days in any 180-day period, while citizens of certain ASEAN member states get up to 30 days for tourism. Longer professional or volunteer stays of more than 120 days a year move into a different visa category.
- EU and Schengen-area citizens may travel to Timor-Leste visa-free for a stay of 90 days in any 180-day period.[2]
- Citizens of certain ASEAN member states holding a passport valid six months past the entry date are visa-exempt for tourism stays of up to 30 days.[2]
- People entering for professional activity for hire or reward, or to volunteer for more than 120 days a year, fall under a separate visa rather than the visa-free tiers.[1]
Duration of stay
Permitted stay varies by passport and visa type. The tourist visa gives a single entry of 30 days and can be extended once for the same period, while EU/Schengen visitors get 90 days in any 180-day period visa-free. UN laissez-passer and INTERPOL document holders may enter without a visa for up to 90 days.
- The tourist visa is valid for a single entry of 30 days and may be extended once for the same period; holders may not work in the country.[5]
- EU and Schengen-area citizens may stay visa-free for 90 days in any 180-day period.[2]
- Holders of a UN Laissez-Passer or INTERPOL Travel Document may enter without a valid visa for up to 90 days.[2]
- Apply for any extension at least 15 days before expiry; lodging within that window suspends the counting of the current visa's validity during processing.[3]
- For volunteers the maximum stay is 120 days, with no external work beyond the approved volunteer work.[6]
General information
Beyond tourism, Timor-Leste operates business visas in Class I and Class II for foreigners exploring or developing business activity, including ASEAN business mobility. Residence routes require opinions from the bodies supervising private investment and employment. This archived material is mostly about business and residence applicants, so it is thin on ordinary visitor travel.
- The business visa is divided into Class I and Class II and is open to foreign nationals intending to explore or develop business activities in the country, including ASEAN business mobility.[4]
- Business visa applicants must be genuine business people entering to develop business opportunities or to prospect for investment.[4]
- A colour photograph of 3x4 cm on a plain background is required with the application.[4]
- Residence visa applications for professional activity also require a reasoned opinion from the government bodies supervising private investment and employment.[8]
- Failure to reach a decision on a residence visa within the legal timeframe is legally equivalent to approval.[8]
Required documents
Applicants must submit documents showing they satisfy the criteria for the visa they request. Across the archived visa types these include a passport valid six months past entry, evidence of funds or family sponsorship, accommodation or onward travel, and documents justifying the purpose of stay. Exact requirements vary by visa class.
- You need an acceptable travel document valid for at least six months at the date of entry.[7][5]
- Evidence of sufficient funds to support your stay, or family sponsorship, must be provided.[5]
- Evidence of accommodation arrangements, or family sponsorship, is required.[5]
- If requested, show evidence of departure arrangements such as an onward transportation ticket or booking.[5]
- Documents justifying the purpose and conditions of stay, plus qualifications or evidence of professional skills where relevant, must be submitted.[4][1]
Fees
The archived fee information is limited and type-specific. The transit visa costs US$20 and the temporary stay visa US$50 for both the initial application and any extension, both payable in cash when applying. No tourist or business visa fee is stated in our archive.
- The application fee for a transit visa is US$20, paid in cash at the time of application.[7]
- The temporary stay visa fee is US$50 for the initial application and for any extension, payable in cash at application.[6]
- Temporary stay visa holders may not undertake professional activity or employment, paid or unpaid.[5]
- Work-related applications require a tax payment certificate from the employing company or organisation.[1]
How to apply
Where you lodge depends on where you are: at a Timorese embassy or consulate abroad, or, if already inside the country, at the Migration Service headquarters in Vila Verde, Dili. Copies of documents submitted with originals are certified free by the immigration officer at lodgement. Extensions are generally not permitted unless exceptional circumstances apply.
- Where the application is made at an embassy or consulate of Timor-Leste abroad, use the application form provided there.[7]
- Applicants already in the country may lodge their application at the Migration Service headquarters in Vila Verde, Dili.[6]
- Copies lodged alongside originals need no external certification, as the immigration officer certifies them free of charge at lodgement.[6]
- Extensions are generally not permitted unless exceptional circumstances apply, such as serious medical or humanitarian reasons or genuine transport problems not of your making.[4][5]
- Where extension is allowed, the tourist visa may be extended once only after entry.[5]
At the border
For many visa types the visa can be applied for and obtained on arrival where the criteria are met, at official air, land or sea border posts open to foreign nationals with a Migration Service presence. In that case no application form is required. Travellers previously refused entry, removed or excluded, or with outstanding fines, must obtain the visa before travelling.
- A visa may be applied for and obtained on arrival where the criteria are satisfied, at any official border post open to foreign nationals and staffed by the Migration Service.[5]
- Where the visa is applied for on arrival at a border control point, no application form is required.[7]
- Foreigners previously refused entry, removed or excluded from the country, or with outstanding fines, must apply for and obtain the visa before seeking entry.[5]
Notices & things to watch
Longer stays carry reporting duties: where stay exceeds six months, changes of employer, role, address, name or nationality must be notified to the Migration Service within 60 calendar days. The rest of this archived material describes the temporary stay visa, which covers specialised and approved business-mobility activities rather than ordinary tourism.
- If your stay exceeds six months, notify the Migration Service within 60 calendar days of a change of employer or role, cessation of employment, or a change of address, name or nationality.[6]
- The temporary stay visa covers specialised activities including cultural, sporting, scientific research, journalistic or highly qualified technical work.[6]
- It also covers approved ASEAN business mobility, including intra-corporate transferees and contractual service suppliers.[6]
Legal basis
The legal basis cited in the archived material is Timor-Leste's Law on Migration & Asylum (11/2017). Decisions on a visa to establish residence must be issued within 30 working days, and the absence of a pronouncement within that period is equivalent to approval. The archived legal material covers residence routes rather than short visitor visas.
- Under Article 40, subsections 6 and 7, and Article 46 of the Law on Migration & Asylum (11/2017), the deadline for a decision on a visa to establish residence is 30 working days.[8]
- The absence of a pronouncement from the competent body within that timeframe is equivalent to approval of the residence visa.[8]
Official downloads
4 files as ZIP ≈2.8 MBThese are official Migration Service PDF forms: two visa application forms, a special stay authorization, and a residence permit form. Visitor applicants need an application form; the residence permit form is aimed at long-term residents, workers or students.
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PDF1 Visa Application Form June 2026-v3-June-2026The main Timor-Leste visa application form (10 pages, English) to be completed and submitted when applying.
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PDFFormulario-foun-June-2026-fillableA shorter fillable application form (5 pages, English) used for lodging a visa application.
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PDFSpecial-Stay-Authorization-Website-fillable-v2-June-2026The Special Stay Authorization form (4 pages, English), used when applying for that specific stay authorization rather than a standard visa.
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PDFResidence Permit Form-Fillable-June-2026-v3The Residence Permit form (6 pages, English), relevant to long-term residence, work or study rather than a visitor visa.
Official sources
The sources are the Migration Service website and its forms, and they cover visa-exempt tiers, tourist, business, transit and temporary stay visas reasonably well but omit fees and processing detail for the main visitor visas.
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migracao.gov.tl8 URLs · cited 47 times
- 1migracao.gov.tl/wp/working-visacited 3×
- 2migracao.gov.tl/wp/visa-exemptionscited 11×
- 3migracao.gov.tl/wp/visas-permitscited 2×
- 4migracao.gov.tl/wp/business-visacited 5×
- 5migracao.gov.tl/wp/tourist-visacited 11×
- 6migracao.gov.tl/wp/temporary-stay-visacited 7×
- 7migracao.gov.tl/wp/transit-visacited 4×
- 8migracao.gov.tl/wp/visa-to-establish-residencecited 4×
Popularity rank #66 (score 11.96). This page was written by an AI from the official material listed above and adds no facts from outside it; visa rules change, so always confirm on the official portal before you apply.