Haiti Visa and Residency Rules for Foreigners

Expats & Nomads: Haiti

Holders of UK and Canadian passports can enter Haiti without a visa for up to 90 days, but both governments, like the US State Department (the US foreign ministry), tell their citizens not to go. Canada says anyone staying 90 days or more needs a residence permit from Haiti’s immigration service, and work or study needs further documents.

That matters to US readers because Level 4 is the State Department’s highest, do-not-travel warning, and the UK government says travel insurance can be invalidated against its advice. This guide sets out the rules as governments publish them; it does not encourage travel, and the background is in our Haiti history explainer.

Visa-free entry lasts 90 days for UK and Canadian passport holders. Longer stays need a permit, and three governments advise against all travel.

Who Can Enter Haiti and for How Long

The UK government says British passport holders do not need a visa to visit Haiti for up to 90 days, in travel advice it confirmed as current on 14 November 2026. The Government of Canada says the same for Canadians, in advice last updated on 24 June 2026.

Both governments say that longer stays, work and study need more than a tourist entry. The UK points travellers to the Haitian Embassy in London for visa questions, and Canada points to the Embassy of Haiti in Canada.

The State Department’s country page for US passport holders could not be opened on 14 November 2026, so we do not state a US rule as confirmed. Ask the Haitian Embassy in Washington before any booking.

The UK says a passport must be valid for at least six months after arrival, while Canada says it must cover the expected stay. Canada adds that customs officers may ask for a return or onward ticket and proof of enough money for the stay.

The UK says travellers arriving from a country with a yellow fever risk must show a vaccination certificate. Tourists also pay US$10 in cash on arrival and a US$55 departure tax, which the UK says is usually already included in the airline ticket.

Residency Permits and Work Documents

Canada says anyone planning to stay 90 days or more must obtain a residence permit, except Canadians of Haitian origin. A Canadian of non-Haitian origin must apply to the Haitian Immigration Service before the 90 days run out, or will need an exit visa to leave the country.

Canada says its workers, investors, exporters and importers must apply for a residence permit through their employer for stays of six months or more, and must do so before leaving Canada. It lists a student visa and a work permit as required, while a tourist visa and a business visa are not required for short stays.

Application fees, processing times and the document list are set by Haiti’s immigration service, and we could not open an official Haitian page that publishes them on 14 November 2026. Fee and timing figures on consultancy websites disagree with each other, so we do not repeat them.

Who Actually Relocates to Haiti

No official count of foreign residents in Haiti was available to us on 14 November 2026. The Canadian advice says kidnappers target locals and foreigners alike, and that missionaries, aid workers, children and dual citizens who live in or travel to Haiti can become victims.

That list shows who is on the ground, but it is not a census. British diplomats work with reduced reach: the UK says there are no British consular officials in Haiti and serves its citizens from its mission in the Dominican Republic.

Canada exempts Canadians of Haitian origin from the 90-day permit rule, which makes returning diaspora a separate legal case from other foreigners. Nothing in the official advice describes remote workers or retirees as a group living in Haiti.

The US Level 4 Warning and the Security Picture

The State Department rates Haiti Level 4, Do Not Travel, and published summaries of its advisory cite crime, terrorism, kidnapping, unrest and limited health care. The Government of Canada tells its citizens to avoid all travel, and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advises against all travel.

Canada says armed gangs control most of Port-au-Prince and that kidnappings are common, with foreigners and locals both targeted. A state of emergency covers the departments, Haiti’s regions, of Ouest, Artibonite and Centre, according to Canada’s advice of 24 June 2026.

Canada says gangs run roadblocks along National Route 2 from Martissant, on the capital’s southern edge, to the town of Miragoane and fight for control of the main highways linking the capital to the north. It strongly advises against road travel between Haiti’s three international airports, in Port-au-Prince, Les Cayes, on the southern coast, and Cap-Haïtien.

Airports and Flights

Canada says there are no regular international flights to or from Port-au-Prince until further notice, and that flights using the airport are often targeted by gunfire. It calls the airport in Cap-Haïtien, a northern port city, the best option for leaving the country.

American Airlines restarted a daily nonstop flight from Miami to Cap-Haïtien on 1 November 2026, the airline says. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the US aviation regulator, barred US airlines from flying to Port-au-Prince, in a ban that, according to reports of the FAA’s September 2026 decision, now runs to 2 March 2027.

The Dominican Republic reopened its air border with Haiti on 30 May 2026, while its land and sea borders stay closed to travellers, Canada says. The Canadian embassy in Port-au-Prince cannot help travellers enter the Dominican Republic from Haiti.

Banking and Costs in US Dollars

The gourde, Haiti’s currency, closed near 131 per US dollar on Friday 13 November 2026 in market data, so 1,000 gourdes is roughly US$7.60. A US Commerce Department business guide, the Haiti Country Commercial Guide, published on 27 May 2024 says ATMs are limited to urban areas and unreliable, while major hotels and supermarkets accept international cards.

Canada’s advice says to use ATMs only inside a hotel or supermarket, to deal with a teller inside the bank and to avoid carrying large sums. The same US guide says Airbnb listings in major cities limit stays to 120 days or less.

We found no official price list for rent, private security or schools. We therefore publish no cost estimates beyond the entry fees above.

Evacuation and Insurance

The UK government warns that travel insurance can be invalidated when you travel against the advice of its Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and that consular support is severely limited. British nationals can use the UK mission in the Dominican Republic for consular help.

Canada says anyone in Haiti whose safety is at risk should consider leaving by commercial means if they can do so safely, and should register with its Registration of Canadians Abroad service, a government registry. We found no government statement promising an evacuation flight for private citizens.

US readers should ask their insurer in writing whether a Level 4 destination is excluded. The answer depends on each policy, which we could not review.

What It Means for You

A British or Canadian passport gets you across the border without a visa, but no government in this guide treats that as a reason to go. The number to hold on to is 90: past that day a foreigner without a permit needs an exit visa to leave, Canada says.

With no regular international flights at the capital’s airport, an overstay would be slow to fix. The practical question for any US reader is whether insurance and an embassy will stand behind a trip, and for Haiti the official answer is limited.

What to Watch Next

Atlantic hurricane season runs to the end of November, Canada’s advice says, and a storm would add to disrupted roads and flights. The FAA ban on US airlines at Port-au-Prince is due to run to 2 March 2027, according to reports of its September 2026 extension, and that date is the next checkpoint.

What Is Not Known

The fees, forms and processing times for a Haitian residence permit are not confirmed, because we could not open an official Haitian page that lists them. The entry rule for US passport holders is not confirmed either.

We did not read the FAA notice itself, so the 2 March 2027 end date of the Port-au-Prince ban is not confirmed at the source. We could not open the State Department’s advisory page, so we cite only its Level 4 rating, as published summaries of it show.

No official count of foreign residents in Haiti is available to us. Nor do we have a verified figure for rent, school fees or private security.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a visa to enter Haiti?

UK and Canadian passport holders need no visa for up to 90 days, their governments say. We could not confirm the rule for US passports, so check with the Haitian Embassy in Washington.

How do foreigners get residency in Haiti?

Stays of 90 days or more need a residence permit from Haiti’s immigration service, Canada says. Work and study need extra documents, and we could not confirm fees or processing times.

Is it safe to move to Haiti?

The US rates Haiti Level 4, Do Not Travel, and the UK and Canada advise against all travel. Canada reports common kidnappings and gang violence, so this guide does not encourage anyone to go.

Connected Coverage

More on Haiti and on life as a foreigner in Latin America.

Who Holds Real Power in Haiti

Haiti Population and Ethnic Groups Explained

Dominicans Keep 8,000 Troops on Haiti Border

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