Government increases immigration fees

IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? The Zambian government has increased its fees for immigration-related permits across the board.

What does the change mean? Government processing fees for employment permits have doubled and fees for residence permits have increased 25 percent. Other relevant fee increases are listed below.

• Implementation time frame: Immediate. The new fees took effect Monday, March 6.
• Visas/permits affected: All permits, including employment permits, residence permits, study permits, spousal permits, investor’s permits, etc.
• Who is affected: Zambian companies sponsoring foreign nationals for work and residence permits.
• Business impact: Companies should budget for the increases.

Below is a schedule of the new government fees for private-sector employers and employees. All figures in Zambian kwacha (1,000 kwacha equals about US$104).

Employment Permits	Old fee	New fee
New	K 3,000	K 6,000
Renewal	K 3,500	K 7,000
Duplicate	K 3,000	K 6,000
Change of occupation	K 1,500	K 3,000
Change of employer	K 1,500	K 3,000
Residence Permit
Issuance	K 4,000	K 5,000
Duplicate	K 4,000	K 5,000
Spouse Permit
Issuance	K 500	K 750
Renewal	K 1,000	K 1,500
Duplicate	K 500	K 750
Temporary Employment Permit
Issuance	K 3,000	K 4,500
Renewal	K 3,500	K 5,250
Duplicate	K 3,000	K 5,250
Variation	K 3,500	K 5,250
Visiting Permit
Issuance	K 1,000	K 1,700
Renewal	K 1,500	K 2,500
Duplicate	K 1,000	K 1,700

BAL Analysis: Government fees for visas will not change (US$50 for single-entry, US$80 for multiple- entry). All other permit fees have been raised, and companies and individuals should prepare for the increased costs.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group and our network provider located in Zambia. For additional information, please contact your BAL attorney.

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