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Palau: visas, tax & cost of living

Palau: honest, sourced estimates on entry rules, the digital nomad visa, tax residency and the cost of living, tailored to your passport.

Palau: visas, tax & cost of living
Your passport

United KingdomPalau

Your move to Palau on a United Kingdom passport

  • VisitFairly easyVisa on arrival, e-visa or travel authorization (ETA)
  • NomadMediumNo nomad visa, other route
  • RelocateMediumResidence with conditions

Visiting

You can get a visa on arrival. Carry the fee and the documents the border asks for, and confirm the current rules before you fly.

Passport validity: Passport valid for at least 6 months on entry, plus a return or onward ticket.

At the border: Submit the online Palau Entry Form (palautravel.pw) within 72 hours before departure, pay the 100 USD Pristine Paradise Environmental Fee (usually in the airfare), and sign the Palau Pledge at immigration; most nationalities get a 30-day visa on arrival, Schengen-country citizens can stay 90 days in any 180 without a visa, and US citizens need no visa.

Working remotely

No dedicated nomad visa; the usual route is a standard residence permit.

Tax and residency

Palau's tax office lists no general personal income tax: it taxes wages and salaries for work performed in Palau at 6% on the first 8,000 USD, 10% up to 40,000 USD and 12% above that (40 PNC § 1101, as amended by RPPL 11-11). If your employer has no place of business or agent in Palau, you must file and pay that tax yourself (§ 1102). You are presumed resident once you spend more than 60 days in Palau in a calendar year (§ 1002). Treat this as an estimate and confirm your situation. (estimate)

The UK decides residence with its Statutory Residence Test (days in the UK plus your ties). As a non-resident you are usually taxed only on UK income; where one exists, a double-tax treaty with the destination decides who taxes what.

Practical

Currency: USD. Cost of living: mid.

Healthcare: Care is not free for visitors and is limited outside Koror's Belau National Hospital, so travel medical insurance is strongly advised.

Driving: UK travel advice says a valid photocard licence lets you drive for up to 30 days (carry an International Driving Permit too if yours is an older paper licence); after 30 days you must apply for a Palauan licence.

Sources: Palau Bureau of Customs and Border Protection - Immigration · Palau Entry Form (official travel portal) · Bureau of Revenue and Taxation - PalauGov · Palau National Code, Title 40 (Revenue and Taxation) · RPPL 11-11 (tax reform act amending Title 40) · UK FCDO travel advice: Palau · US State Department - Palau travel information · GOV.UK: tax on foreign income · HMRC: double-taxation treaties

Estimates, not advice. Confirm with the official sources before you act.

Frequently asked questions

Palau: is there a digital nomad visa?
No dedicated digital nomad visa; most people use a standard residence permit instead.
Palau: when do you become a tax resident?
Palau's tax office lists no general personal income tax: it taxes wages and salaries for work performed in Palau at 6% on the first 8,000 USD, 10% up to 40,000 USD and 12% above that (40 PNC § 1101, as amended by RPPL 11-11). If your employer has no place of business or agent in Palau, you must file and pay that tax yourself (§ 1102). You are presumed resident once you spend more than 60 days in Palau in a calendar year (§ 1002). Treat this as an estimate and confirm your situation.
Palau: what is the cost of living?
The cost of living is moderate and the local currency is the USD. Treat any figures as estimates.
Palau: do you need health insurance?
Care is not free for visitors and is limited outside Koror's Belau National Hospital, so travel medical insurance is strongly advised.
Palau: can you drive on a foreign licence?
UK travel advice says a valid photocard licence lets you drive for up to 30 days (carry an International Driving Permit too if yours is an older paper licence); after 30 days you must apply for a Palauan licence.

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Last verified: 2026-10-04

Voymo gives general information to help you organise your move. It is not legal, tax, or immigration advice, always confirm with an official source or a qualified professional before you act.

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