Business visas are issued to travelers who need to visit Lesotho in connection with their business activities or on behalf of their company and who plan to stay in Lesotho for a limited period of time. If your business trip requires a long stay in the country of more than 90 days, you should obtain an annual visa and you may be required to register with the Immigration Department.

All business travelers must register with the Immigration Department. Passport and documents confirming citizenship must be provided by travelers within 7 days of arrival.

Required documents to obtain a Lesotho Business Visa (E-Visa)

1. Application form
2. Passport.

• Validity for at least six months after the date of your arrival in Lesotho.
• Bearer's signature
• Passport not older than 10 years (issued within the last 10 years).
• At least two free “visa pages”.
• Undamaged photos, securely attached to the passport.

3. Photo

• NEW! Must not be older than 6 months
• Format - JPG, PNG
• The height and width of the photo must be the same.
• The photo should represent a full face, front view, eyes open, and without glasses.
• The head should be located in the center of the frame and represented entirely from the top of the hair to the chin.
• The background should be ordinary light or white.
• No shadows on the face or background.
• Without borders.
• The minimum allowable dimensions are 600 pixels (width) x 600 pixels (height).
• The maximum allowable dimensions are 1200 pixels (width) x 1200 pixels (height).

4. Photocopies.

• Copy of the main page of your passport.

5. Business license and documents confirming the business relations
6. Current bank statements
7. Business itinerary, including accommodation on the road
8. Business recommendations:

• Letter of employment from the employer or letter of invitation from the Lesotho organization.

NB: All documents submitted in a foreign language (except English) must be accompanied by an official English translation.

9. Yellow Fever Certificate

In case of arrival from an infected area where HIV/AIDS is common.

10. Travel insurance
11. When you arrive in Lesotho, you must also present:

• Printed Lesotho e-Visa
• Travel itinerary, including:
• Reservation of plane tickets
• Valid order/reservation of hotel/place of residence with the full address (name, street, city, postal code, contact information, reservation number).

12. Additional documents may be required:

• The address where you will live - if known.
• If you are traveling with a minor aged 16 or younger, you must provide the following:
• Names must be the same, you must provide family or birth certificates.
• If not from the same family, then a letter from the parent, or guardian - with documents confirming guardianship, allowing the minor to travel to Lesotho.

The average time for processing a Lesotho business visa (e-Visa) is 72 hours.

A Business People Permit is issued to an applicant who now has a business in the Kingdom of Lesotho or to an applicant wishing to open a business in the Kingdom of Lesotho.

Required Documents to Obtain a Business People Permit in Lesotho

1. Application form

Fully completed in English, signed and dated by the applicant.

2. Passport.

• Validity is a minimum of six months after the date of your arrival in Lesotho.
• Signed by the applicant.
• Passport not older than 10 years (issued within the last 10 years).
• At least one or two free “visa pages”.
• Undamaged photos, securely attached to the passport.

3. Two photos.

• NEW! Must not be older than 6 months.
• Front view of the face, occupying 70-80% (32-26 mm) of photography.
• Homogeneous and white background.
• Clear features of the face and eyes - not covered by hair or the frame of glasses.
• Size 2x2

4. Copy of identification document. 

5. Copy of residence permit/visa (if the country of residence and citizenship are different).

6. Photocopies.

• Copy of the main page of your passport.
• Copies of previous Visa/Residence Permits in Lesotho

7. Health certificate (to be completed by a public doctor in Lesotho)

8. Police clearance

• From Lesotho
• From the country of origin for those who apply for the first time.

Note: For applicants under the age of 16, police clearance is not required.

9. Work permit (certified by the Department of Labor and Employment)

10. Letter requesting a visa

• Letter from the applicant (request for permission from the Director of Immigration Service to reside in Lesotho)

11. Letter from the local employer/sponsor (proof of employment).

The letter must contain:

• Sponsor/company name, mailing address, and phone number
• Detailed information about the applicant's workplace, start date, and salary
• Terms of working leave (estimated date of resumption of work) and purpose of the trip
• A copy of a valid trade license and company ownership documents (if the person owns the company).
• Letter from the university (if the person is a student)
• A copy of the current sponsor's passport and residence visa (if any) is to be attached to the sponsor's letter (if the applicant is a dependent).

12. Personal tax return (certified by the LRA)
13. Company Tax Return (certified by LRA)

14. Merchant's license (certified by the Chamber of Commerce)
15. Employment contract
16. Memorandum (only for directors and remuneration of directors)
17. Copy of the previous permit (for extension applications)
18. Payment confirmation

*Additional documents may be requested.

The average time for processing an application for a Lesotho entry permit for Business People is 2-3 months. It depends on the country where you are applying for the visa.

The cost of a Lesotho Business Entry Permit is M3.000.00 (about 206 USD) for up to 2 years for foreign nationals. The amount of the fee may vary depending on your nationality or country of submission.