Arrival in Lesotho

Foreign nationals should normally obtain a Lesotho eVisa before travelling unless a visa-waiver agreement or an applicable Commonwealth exemption covers the journey. Lesotho authorities strongly discourage relying on a visa on arrival, and an approved visa does not guarantee entry because the Immigration Officer makes the final decision. The visa category must match the purpose of travel, such as tourism, visiting, business, employment, joining a relative, study, volunteering or missionary work. Applications may require a passport, travel itinerary, sponsor or invitation, accommodation confirmation, financial evidence, medical documents, medical insurance, a return ticket and work or study evidence. Published fees are M1,000 for a single-entry visa and M2,000 for a multiple-entry visa, with a stated processing target of 3 to 5 working days; check the current fee, processing time and eVisa operating status before applying. The passport should generally be valid for at least six months and have at least two blank visa pages. Transit through South Africa follows separate South African rules, including possible transit-visa requirements for some Bangladeshi and Pakistani travellers. Lesotho has 14 land and air entry points, all connected with South Africa. Maseru Bridge and Maputsoe/Ficksburg are often busy. Published opening times include 24 hours for Maseru and Maputsoe, 06:00 to 18:00 for Moshoeshoe I International Airport, 06:00 to 22:00 for Van Rooyen's Gate and 07:00 to 20:00 for Qacha's Nek, while several other posts operate from 08:00 to 16:00. Hours can change seasonally, and some posts may be unstaffed or reached by roads that are not continuously paved, so check the selected post before departure. At the airport, non-resident passengers should have a valid passport, the required visa, a return air ticket and any relevant vaccination evidence. Port Health may conduct health screening, and customs requires a declaration. The government target is approximately 45 minutes from leaving the aircraft to exiting the Arrivals Hall, but actual time varies. Revenue Services Lesotho customs requires travellers to declare goods on entry and exit, allow inspection and obtain permits for restricted goods. Duties and VAT generally apply to goods arriving from outside the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), although travellers' own used personal belongings are generally excluded. Goods from SACU countries also need to be declared, and invoices or other proof of purchase should be retained. Do not assume that personal use removes every customs requirement. Health access commonly leads from a village health centre or clinic to a district or central hospital. Remote mountain areas may be served by the Lesotho Flying Doctor Service. Check vaccination and yellow-fever-document requirements for the specific journey. Emergency number 112 connects to emergency services, National Ambulance uses 121, and Child Helpline uses 116. The Ministry of Health can be reached at +266 2231 2836. Moshoeshoe I International Airport lies about 18 kilometres southeast of Maseru, and flights commonly connect through Johannesburg. Public transport includes 4+1 taxis, minibuses and buses. Use designated bus stops where available; Queue Marshals and Inspectors can help identify registered drivers and vehicles. Fares change, so do not rely on an old price. Travel to remote districts requires checking daylight, road surface, distance and seasonal weather. The currency is the loti, plural maloti (LSL). The South African rand is linked to the loti at 1:1 and is legal tender. International cards are more likely to work in larger towns than at small shops or every fuel station, and ATMs can be limited or unreliable, so keep a suitable cash reserve. After arrival, there is no single nationwide newcomer registration office identified in the available official material. Duties are distributed among Immigration Services, the National Identity and Civil Registry (NICR), District Administration, Port Health and other providers. Foreign nationals need to regularize their stay through the Department of Immigration Services when their status requires it. Published permit paths include a Temporary Permit of 90 days, a two-year Residence Permit, a four-year Study Permit and an Indefinite Permit, with categories such as business, missionary, joining relative, spouse, returning former citizen, doctor or nurse and teacher. A visitor visa does not automatically authorize employment or study, and applicants may need their passport, entry stamp, visa certificate and sponsor or status documents. Avoid overstaying and confirm the current permit procedure with Immigration Services. Basotho citizens and other eligible people use NICR for national identity and civil registration matters, including identity enrolment, renewal and replacement. The Government Service Charter also lists identity enrolment for non-citizens and refugees. The eCitizen portal requires a verified National Identity and is available across the 10 districts. District headquarters commonly bring together identity and civil registration, major medical services and public administration, but access differs by district. Once the actual accommodation is known, arrange local electricity, water and other services separately. The Lesotho Electricity Company helpline is 80022000, the Water and Sewerage Company helpline is 8002201, and the National Government Contact Centre is 80010100.