Immigration
Immigration and emigration decree of 1978 with residence permits
Entry and residence are governed by the Décret sur l'immigration et l'émigration of 1978 and administered by the Direction de l'Immigration et de l'Émigration under the Ministère de l'Intérieur. Most nationalities may enter for a short stay on payment of a tourist fee, with longer stays requiring a residence permit, and foreign workers need authorisation linked to their employer. The 2012 constitutional amendments permit dual nationality, reversing the previous rule that acquiring another nationality forfeited Haitian citizenship.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — National; Direction de l'Immigration et de l'Émigration
- Deadline — Short stay: commonly up to 90 days, subject to the entry stamp
- Deadline — Residence permit: applied for before the authorised stay expires and renewed annually
- Deadline — Work authorisation: obtained before employment begins
Governing law
- Décret du 5 septembre 1978 sur l'immigration et l'émigration
- Constitution 1987 as amended 2011 (arts. 11 to 15 (nationality))
- Loi sur la carte d'identification nationale
In practice
Recognition of dual nationality after 2011 was a substantial change for the diaspora, restoring the ability to hold Haitian nationality alongside another and to own property and invest on that basis, though full political rights remain restricted for those who have naturalised elsewhere. Administrative capacity is limited and processing is slow, so timelines quoted in law rarely match practice.