Living and Working in Timor-Leste: Work Visa, Salary, Costs

To work in Timor-Leste as a foreigner you need a job offer and a Working Visa (US$100, valid for up to one year and renewable), and you cannot work on a tourist visa or a visa exemption. The Immigration Service (Serviço de Migração) issues the visa after the employment is checked by SEFOPE, the Secretariat of State for Vocational Training and Employment. Everything below comes from official sources, checked on 26 October 2026; where no official figure exists, we say so.

Quick answers

Question	Answer
Can I work on a tourist visa?	No. Tourist visa holders may not do any professional activity, paid or unpaid
Which visa do I need?	Working Visa, for paid work under an employment or service contract
Work visa fee	US$100 to apply, US$100 for each extension, in cash
Work visa validity	Up to 1 year, multiple entry, renewable for equal periods
Processing time	Up to 30 working days (15 for SEFOPE, 15 for the Immigration Service)
Where to apply	Immigration Service headquarters, Vila Verde, Dili, or a Timor-Leste embassy or consulate before you travel
Temporary residence permit	US$100, valid 2 years, renewable
Permanent residence permit	US$150, after at least 6 years of temporary residence (among other routes)
National minimum wage	US$115 a month (unchanged since 2012; a rise to US$154 was proposed in 2026)
Currency	US dollar, mostly cash

Can foreigners work in Timor-Leste?

Yes, with the right visa. The Immigration Service is clear on what you cannot do: holders of a tourist visa “are not allowed to exercise any professional activity in the country”, and the visa exemption for Schengen citizens does not allow paid work either (see visa and immigration).

The main routes are:

Working Visa: paid work for a specific employer under an employment or service contract. Volunteers who will volunteer for more than 120 days a year also use this visa.
Temporary Stay Visa (US$50): for students, specialised activities (cultural, sporting, scientific, journalistic or highly qualified work) for up to one year, volunteers for up to 120 days, and dependent relatives. Dependants may not work.
Business Visa: Class 1 (US$100, stays of up to 60 days) for people exploring or investing in business; Class 2 (US$150, initially 6 months, extendable up to 2 years) for members or administrators of a registered company, who must spend at least 183 days a year in the country.

Can you convert a tourist visa into a work visa inside the country? The Immigration Service’s pages do not describe any such conversion. The Working Visa is applied for in person at its Dili headquarters or at an embassy or consulate before arrival, so plan to get it before you start work, and confirm your case with the Immigration Service (informacao@migracao.gov.tl).

Working Visa: requirements, fee and how long it takes

Item	Detail
Fee	US$100 (new), US$100 (extension), cash at the Client Service counter, Ministry of the Interior, Dili
Validity	Up to 1 year, renewable for equal periods
Entries	Multiple
Processing	Up to 30 working days: 15 for SEFOPE, 15 for the Immigration Service
Where	In person at Immigration Service headquarters, Vila Verde, Dili, or at an embassy or consulate abroad before arrival

Documents listed by the Immigration Service:

Passport and a copy
Colour passport photo (3 × 4 cm)
Proof of means of subsistence
Return ticket or other proof you can leave
Proof of accommodation
Evidence of the reasons and conditions of your stay
Short-term volunteer agreement, if applicable
Certified copy of the employment or service contract
Qualifications or proof of relevant skills
Employer’s certified commercial registration, if applicable
Authorisation to carry out the economic activity, if applicable
Employer’s tax payment certificate
Medical certificate of good health
Criminal record from your home country and any country where you lived for more than a year
Any other supporting evidence

Conditions: you may work only for the named employer in the named role. If you stay more than six months, you must tell the Immigration Service within 60 calendar days of any change of employer or role, the end of your job, or a change of address, name or nationality.

What SEFOPE does

The Immigration Service says the job must be legitimate and its conditions must meet Timor-Leste’s employment laws “as certified by SEFOPE”, which has 15 working days of the processing time. SEFOPE’s own website was offline when we checked (26 October 2026), and we found no official published quota for foreign workers. Your employer normally handles this step; ask them, or contact SEFOPE at info@sefope.gov.tl.

Residence visa and permits

If you plan to settle, the path is a Visa to Establish Residence, then a temporary and later a permanent residence permit. All are lodged at the Immigration Service headquarters in Vila Verde, Dili.

Permit	Fee	Validity	Who it is for
Visa to Establish Residence	US$50, cash	90 days, multiple entry	Entering to apply for a temporary residence permit, for work or professional activity or family reunification
Temporary Resident Permit (Type A)	US$100 (renewal US$100)	2 years, renewable; work and study allowed	Professional activity, marriage of 2–5 years to a Timorese citizen, family reunification and other cases
Permanent Resident Permit	US$150	No expiry	For example, at least 6 years with a temporary permit, or 10 consecutive years of legal residence

The Immigration Service says a decision on the Visa to Establish Residence is due within 30 working days. People who have held a work, business or temporary stay visa and lived legally in the country for the last five years may be exempt from needing the Visa to Establish Residence. A replacement resident card costs US$25.

Salaries and the minimum wage

Timor-Leste’s national minimum wage is US$115 a month. It was set in 2012 and has not changed since, according to Tatoli, the state news agency (May 2026). In 2026 the Secretary of State for Vocational Training and Employment announced a draft law raising it to US$154 a month, and the workers’ union KSTL called for more than US$200. As of October 2026 we found no official notice that the increase had been approved, so check before relying on either figure.

There is no official published salary scale for foreign professionals. Pay depends on the employer (government, international organisations, NGOs or private companies) and is agreed in your contract.

Cost of living in Dili

Prices are in US dollars. These are the figures we could verify; how much a trip costs has the full list with sources.

Item	Price	Source
Mikrolet (shared minibus) in Dili	US$0.25, any distance	Official tourism site
Taxi in Dili	US$3–6 a ride	Official tourism site
Mobile data, 30 days	US$10 for 60 GB (Timor Telecom); US$11 for 105 GB (Telemor)	Operators’ websites
ATM withdrawal	About US$7 per withdrawal, about US$300 maximum	See our money guide
Short stay, apartment or budget room	From about US$20 a night	Booking.com listing price observed 26 October 2026
Mid-range hotel	About US$65–105 a night	Booking.com listing prices observed 26 October 2026

Rent: we found no official or first-party source that publishes monthly rents in Dili, so we do not give a figure. The nightly prices above are short-stay listings, not rental rates; long-term rents are agreed directly with landlords.

Timor-Leste is more expensive than much of Southeast Asia because most goods are imported. For SIM cards and data plans see SIM card and internet.

Banking, phones and healthcare

Banks: the Central Bank of Timor-Leste reports one local commercial bank and four branches of foreign banks. The local bank is the state-owned BNCTL; foreign branches include BNU (Caixa Geral de Depósitos), Bank Mandiri and BRI, and ANZ, which serves business customers only since closing personal banking in 2018. In September 2026 the Central Bank approved a definitive licence for a new bank, Banco Kaebauk. Ask each bank what it needs to open an account for a foreign resident.
Cash: the currency is the US dollar, and cash is used for most everyday payments. ATMs are mainly in Dili; see money and currency.
Phones: three operators (Telemor, Timor Telecom, Telkomcel) sell prepaid SIMs; registration needs ID. Details in SIM card and internet.
Healthcare: the main public hospital is Hospital Nacional Guido Valadares in Dili, and serious cases may need evacuation to Darwin or Singapore, so health insurance that covers medical evacuation is essential. See health and safety.

Is Timor-Leste a good place to live?

That depends on your work and expectations. Dili has the services, banks, ATMs and most jobs; outside the capital, ATMs are rare and healthcare is limited. Read our Dili guide for neighbourhoods and daily life, and visa and immigration for entry rules before your first trip.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Timor-Leste work visa cost?

US$100 for the first application and US$100 for each extension, paid in cash in Dili. It is valid for up to one year and can be renewed.

How long does a work visa take?

Up to 30 working days: 15 for SEFOPE to check the employment and 15 for the Immigration Service.

Can I change my tourist visa to a work visa in Timor-Leste?

The Immigration Service does not describe any way to convert a tourist visa. Tourist visa holders may not work at all, so apply for the Working Visa before you start, ideally before you travel, and confirm with the Immigration Service.

What is the minimum wage in Timor-Leste?

US$115 a month, unchanged since 2012. A rise to US$154 was proposed in 2026 but had not been confirmed as approved by October 2026.

What documents do I need for a Timor-Leste work visa?

Mainly your passport, photo, a certified copy of your work contract, proof of qualifications, a medical certificate, a criminal record, proof of accommodation and funds, and your employer’s commercial registration and tax certificate.

How much is rent in Dili?

No official or first-party source publishes monthly rents, so we cannot give a verified figure. Short-stay listings on Booking.com start at about US$20 a night.