A two-year residence permit applies to:

• Missionary’s permit

• Joining relative permit

• Teacher’s permit

• Spouse joining spouse permit

• Doctors & nurses permit

• Married women permit

• Returning citizens permit

Missionary’s permit

A missionary’s permit is issued to an applicant who is engaged in religious activities in Lesotho at a religious institution in the Kingdom of Lesotho.

Necessary documents:

• Correctly completed online application form
• 2 passport-size photos
• Medical certificate;
• Lesotho police clearance
• Police clearance from the country of origin for applicants applying for the first time
• Letter from the applicant
• Letter from Church
• Church constitution
• Certificate of Ordination (Certificate of Ordination is the official license of a clergyman).  This is a legal and free certificate of ordination, which confirms the status of a person as a licensed minister.
• Education certificates
• Copy of passport
• Copy of the previous permit (when applying for extension)
• Proof of payment

Note: All copies must be certified.

Note: Applicants under 16 years of age do not need a clearance from the police.

Joining relative permit (Family Reunification) 

A permit to join relatives is issued to persons who join relatives who currently hold a temporary permit, a permanent permit for Lesotho citizenship, and wish to reside with them in the Kingdom of Lesotho.

Required documents: 

• Correctly completed online application form
• 2 passport-size photos
• Health certificate (to be completed by a public doctor in Lesotho)
• Police clearance from Lesotho police
• Police clearance from the country of origin for applicants applying for the first time
• Letter from the applicant
• (Requesting permission from the Director of Immigration Service to reside in Lesotho)
• Letter from the sponsor
• Proof of relationship
• Copy of passport
• Copy of the previous permit (for extension)
• Copy of sponsor's passport
• Copy of sponsor's permit (if applicable)
• Proof of payment

Note: All copies must be certified.

Note: Applicants under 16 years of age do not need a clearance from the police.

Note: Dependents under the age of 21 are not required to pay a visa fee.

Teacher’s permit

A teacher’s permit is issued to an applicant who wants to work as a teacher in an educational institution in the Kingdom of Lesotho.

Necessary documents: 

• Properly completed online application form
• 2 passport-size photos
• Health certificate (issued by a public doctor practicing in Lesotho)
• Police clearance from Lesotho police
• Police clearance from the country of origin for those who apply for the first time 
• Work permit (certified by the Department of Labor and Employment)
• Letter from the applicant (request for permission from the Director of Immigration Service to reside in Lesotho)
• Letter from the employer
• Personal Tax Clearance (certified by the LRA)
• Tax clearance from school (private school)
• Employment contract
• Educational certificates
• Copy of passport
• Copy of the previous permit (for extension)
• Proof of payment

Note: All copies must be certified.

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

​Spouse joining spouse permit

A permit for the reunification of a spouse is issued to an applicant who has a spouse who currently resides in the Kingdom of Lesotho, holds either a temporary or permanent residence permit, or a Lesotho citizenship, and who wishes to join the spouse and reside in the Kingdom of Lesotho.

Necessary documents: 

• Correctly completed online application form
• 2 passport-size photos
• Health certificate (to be completed by a public doctor in Lesotho)
• Police clearance from Lesotho police
• Police clearance from the country of origin for applicants applying for the first time
• Letter from the applicant (Requesting permission from the Director of Immigration Service to reside in Lesotho)
• Letter from the sponsor
• Proof of relationship
• Copy of passport
• Copy of the previous permit (for extension)
• Copy of sponsor's passport
• Copy of sponsor's permit (if applicable)
• Proof of payment

Note: All copies must be certified.

Note: Applicants under 16 years of age do not need a clearance from the police.

Note: Dependents under the age of 21 are not required to pay a visa fee.

Married women permit

A married women's residence permit is issued to an applicant who is married to a Basotho man and would like to live with him in the Kingdom of Lesotho.

Required documents: 

• Correctly completed online application form
• 2 passport-size photos
• Medical certificate (issued by a public doctor practicing in Lesotho)
• Police clearance from Lesotho police
• Police clearance from the country of origin for applicants applying for the first time
• Letter from the applicant (request for permission from the Director of Immigration Service to reside in Lesotho)
• Letter from the sponsor (husband)
• Marriage certificate
• Copy of passport
• Copy of the previous permit (for extension)
• Copy of passport/national identity card of sponsor (husband)
• Copy of sponsor's permit (if applicable)
• Proof of payment

Note: All copies must be certified.

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

Doctors & nurses permit

The work permit for a doctor and nurse is issued to applicants who are currently working in the medical field as a doctor or nurse in the Kingdom of Lesotho, or to an applicant who would like to work in the medical field as a doctor or nurse in the Kingdom of Lesotho.

Required documents: 

• Properly completed online application form
• 2 passport-size photos
• Medical certificate (issued by a public doctor practicing in Lesotho)
• Police clearance from Lesotho police
• Police clearance from the country of origin for applicants applying for the first time
• Work permit (certified by the Department of Labor and Employment)
• Letter from the applicant (request for permission from the Director of Immigration Service to reside in Lesotho)
• Letter from the employer
• Personal tax clearance (certified by the LRA)
• Retention certificate (from Lesotho Medical Council)
• Educational certificate
• Employment contract
• Copy of passport
• Copy of the previous permit (for extension)
• Proof of payment

Note: All copies must be certified.

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

Returning citizens permit

A permit for the return of a citizen is issued to an applicant who was previously a citizen of the Kingdom of Lesotho and wishes to return and reside in the Kingdom of Lesotho.

Required documents:

• Correctly completed online application form
• 2 passport-size photos
• Health certificate (to be completed by a public doctor in Lesotho)
• Police clearance from Lesotho police
• Police clearance from the country of origin for applicants applying for the first time
• Letter from the applicant
• (Requesting permission from the Director of Immigration Service to reside in Lesotho)
• Confirmation of previous citizenship/identity card
• Copy of passport
• Proof of payment

Note: All copies must be certified.

Note: Applicants under 16 years of age do not need a clearance from the police.

Note: Dependents under 21 years of age are not required to pay a visa fee