Visa steps to visit Haiti

Crystal clear water and white sands of the Caribbean attract thousands of tourists to Haiti every year. Of course, pandemics affected the tourism of Haiti deeply, such as in other countries. However, good news from all parts of the world makes us more positive, and make plans about visiting our dream destinations. If you have a goal to visit Haiti, one of the first things that you should be informed about is the visa policy of Haiti. In this blog, you will have a chance to learn about it. So here you will get answers to the questions like: which are Haiti free visa countries, what is Haiti visa policy, what are Haiti visa requirements, do I need a visa to visit Haiti, what are the steps of Haiti visa application, and so on. 

General information about Haiti

Before starting to answer, who need a visa to go to Haiti? I would like to give some basic details about the country. Haiti is located in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea and has borders with the Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Colombia, Cuba, and Jamaica. It covers 27,750 square kilometers, which makes Haiti the largest country in the Caribbean by area. The total population of the country is almost 12 million, and the major ethnic group of Haiti is Afro-Haitians by 95%. The most populated and capital city of Haiti is Port-au-Prince. Some other big cities are Carrefour Ouest, Delmas Ouest, Petion-Ville Ouest, and so on. The official language of the country is Haitian Creole. This language is similar to French-based Creole, but you can see some other influences such as Spanish, English, Portuguese, Taíno, and West African languages. When it comes to religion, an important part of the population (87%) identify themselves as Christian. Furthermore, approximately 10% of the population has no beliefs. 

Haiti visa policy

After getting a general view of Haiti, it is time to talk about the visa policy of Haiti. We can say that Haiti is one of the tourist friend countries because they give a chance to visit the country without getting any visa. Of course, there are some exceptions, which I will mention later. In general, we can say that there are two main types of visas in the country: Diplomatic/official visas and Immigrant or residence visas. 

Diplomatic and official visas. Diplomatic and official visas are issued to diplomatic or official passports and to the United Nations Laissez-Passer at the application of the company where the applicant works. The applicant should provide these documents to the Haiti visa center:

• Letter from the institution
• Valid passport
• Two passport-sized color photos

Immigrant or residence visas. This type of visa gives you a chance to stay in the country permanently. To get this, you should follow the rules of the visa policy of Haiti and answer the Haiti visa requirements. You will need to give three copies of the application form, and the form should include the details below:

• The name of the applicant
• The birthplace and date
• Applicant’s nationality (If your birthplace and the resident country are different, you should mention both)
• Present profession or occupation (the past ten years)
• Current address
• The names and nationality of the applicant’s father and mother( If their birthplace and the resident country are different, you should mention both)
• If the applicant is married, name, date of birth, nationality, and other details of spouse
• Purpose of the visit and how long do you plan to stay
• Income proof or bank statement
• Applicant’s diplomas or certificates of technical knowledge along with an employment contract
• Details of Haitian people that applicant know(how long they know each other, and so on)
• Some extra information that can be useful
• Besides this information, the applicant is obliged to bring the documents below:
• Six (6) passport-sized color photos of the applicant and family members who will travel to Haiti with the applicant
• Clean criminal record from the legal authorities
• A health record (issued within fifteen days earlier than the visa application)

What must I do to extend my stay time?

Haiti has beautiful nature and delicious cuisine. Such kinds of reasons make thousands of foreigners stay in the country for a long time. Furthermore, some people decide to work and live here forever. If you have skills in several languages, it will be easy to find a job related to tourism. Of course, having skills in French will be advantageous for you. Another reason why living here can be attractive is living costs. Living cost in Haiti is 1.43 times cheaper than the world average. Which professions have a high salary in Haiti? The top 5 jobs in Haiti with high wages are:

• Surgeons / Doctors. Salary Range: from 1450 USD to 4337 USD
• Judges. Salary Range: from 1206 USD to 3640 USD
• Lawyers. Salary Range: from 976 USD to 2943 USD
• Bank Managers. Salary Range: from 919 USD to 2777 USD
• Chief Executive Officers. Salary Range: from 861 USD to 2600 USD

Foreigners that want to extend their stay in Haiti beyond 90 days must issue a permit with the Department of Immigration and Emigration. Foreigners who have such a desire must answer some Haiti visa requirements.

• The application letter Residence permit directed to the Directorate of the Immigration and Emigration (DIE)
• The letter from the applicant’s employment
• A photocopy of the biographical page of the passport
• Telephone number and address
• A medical record (older than 30 days)
• Two passport photos in color
• The photocopy of the arrival at the last entry into the country
• A photocopy of the birth certificate (should have a copy translated into French)
• A bank statement from a Haitian bank with a minimum deposit of 83 USD (7500 gourdes)
• Clear criminal record
• The sum of 56 USD (5000 gourdes) payable by check to the Treasury Department
• Some extra fees

Who need a visa to go to Haiti? 

When people decide to travel to Haiti, they ask these questions: Who need a visa to go to Haiti? Do I need a visa in order to visit Haiti? There is a list of Haiti free visa countries. If you are from one of them, then you do not need a visa to visit Haiti. On the other hand, if you are not from any of those, then you should apply for one of the visas that we mentioned above. The list of visa-free countries is so long, that is why we will introduce the countries which are not on that list.

• Colombia
• Cuba
• The Dominican Republic
• Iran
• Libya
• Panama
• Syria
• Vietnam
• Yemen

Citizens of Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Panama can visit Haiti without a visa if they have a valid US, Canada, or Schengen visa or residence permit. Other countries that we mentioned above should obtain a visa to Haiti from one of the Haiti diplomatic missions, embassies, or consulates before their travel. How much does it cost? You will pay 25 USD for the single-entry and three-month valid visa. 

Haiti visa on arrival

Another popular question about Haiti visa is, who can get a Haiti visa on arrival? Haiti visa on arrival is for Haiti free visa countries. Citizens of those countries must pay a 10 USD tourist fee at the airport. Also, they must own a passport valid for at least six months from the date of arrival in Haiti. It lets tourists stay in Haiti for up to 90 days, and if they want to stay longer for some reason, they can apply for a residence permit at Immigration Department. Some of the countries that can get visa on arrival are (there are 192 countries on the list) :

Afghanistan

Albania

Algeria

Andorra

Angola

Antigua and Barbuda

Argentina

Australia

Austria

Azerbaijan

Bahamas

Bahrain

Bangladesh

Barbados

Belarus

Belgium

Belize

Benin

Bhutan

Bolivia

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Botswana

Brazil

Brunei Darussalam

Bulgaria

Burkina Faso

Burundi

Cambodia

Cameroon

Canada

Cape Verde

Some additional fees

How much money will I spend during this process? During the Haiti visa application process, you will pay various fees for documents and visas. I will mention some of them below. Soyou can calculate your average spending. 

Passports

• Adult applicants (over the age of 18, passports valid for ten years)- 145 USD
• Minor applicants (under the age of 18, passports valid for five years)- 120 USD
• FedEx shipping for passports not picked up in the Consular Section- 20 USD
• Travel Certificate (issued instead of passport)- 20 USD

Authentication

• Foreign documents- 25 USD
• Haitian documents- 20 USD
• Legalization of documents for return, repatriation of corpses- 160 USD (includes the charge of authenticating documents relating to the repatriation of a corpse)

Power of Attorney (Haitian Nationals)

• Business Power of Attorney document- 30 USD
• Holders of the Haitian state pension- 20 USD

Attention! Payments can be made via guaranteed check or cashier’s check issued by a bank or credit union. Please make payments to the Embassy of Haiti. Cash and Personal check are not allowed. Keep in mind that there can be some changes in fees.