Apply In Person

1. To apply for a work permit, the applicant should visit the nearest Regional Labour Office, which is under the Department of Labour and Social Security office, Ministry of Employment Labour Productivity and Skills Development. (Please view address details under office and location contact section below).
2. Express your interest to the receptionist/ secretariat at the front desk at the nearest Regional Labour Office and Collect the Work Permit Application Form and fill out all required sections accurately. Forms are available at the Enquiries Desk at any of the labour Department offices.
3. Submit the completed forms, which are signed and stamped by your employer, attached to the supporting document file {as listed under the “required document” section of this page} to the department concerned attending officer.
4. The officer will then verify, if all the necessary information and documents have been provided and that the applications comply with the selection criteria, if everything is in the order you will be required to pay the application fee at the cash counter.
5. It is only after the deposit of the complete file and the payment of the required fee, that the application file will be registered and recorded and applicants will be issued with an acknowledgment letter containing details of their application.
6. The completed application file and fee for the work permit are then submitted to an authorized officer (via designated channels) where the application is reviewed and a recommendation made which is within 14 days. N.B The authorized officer is entitled to call in the applicant for an interview.
7. Applicants will then be notified of the outcome of their application by way of a letter.
8. If approved the working permit will then be drawn up, singed, and stamped by the authorized official and made available for withdrawal by the applicant at the Regional Labour Office, where the application was filed against his/her identification document, approval letter, and the acknowledgment letter.
9. If your application is turned down, you can appeal the decision. {Please refer to wiki procedure Botswana-How to Appeal for Work Permit; for full procedure details}

Three (3) months Emergency Work Permit & Normal working permit (General Requirement)

• Copy of job advert not older than six months old
• Contract of employment
• Application letter for work (signed)
• Letter of offer or appointment letter
• Applicants’ Curriculum vitae (CV)
• Certified copies of educational certificates. Please note that all certificates in foreign languages must be translated to English and be confirmed by Botswana Qualification Authority
• Certified copy of a valid passport – biographic data page (picture, passport number, date of birth, birth place, expiry, etc.)
• 2 x Passport-size photos (with a white background)
• Clearance from relevant professional regulatory bodies
• Letter from the patient’s doctor (Nurse Aid/ Care taker)
• Supporting letter from relevant Ministries for Government projects
• CV for understudies
• Any other supporting documentation as maybe requested by the Authority.

Up to seven (7) days Emergency Work Permit?

• Supporting letter
• Certified copy of a valid passport – biographic data page (picture, passport number, date of birth, birthplace, expiry, etc.)

Additional requirements unique to certain professions'

• Medical Field - permission from the Botswana Nursing Council, the Midwifery Council of Botswana, Botswana Health Profession Council of the Ministry of Health
• Teaching Field - permission to teach from the Ministry of Education, qualification evaluation from the Botswana Qualification Authority (BQA)
• Accountants - clearance from the Botswana Institute of Chartered Accountants (BICA)
• Footballer - clearance from the Botswana Football Association or Premier League
• Pilot - clearance from the Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana
• Engineers - Membership from Engineers Registration Board

Ministry of Employment Labour Productivity and Skills Development
Private Bag 516
Address: Block 8, Government Enclave,
Gaborone
Botswana
Tel. (+267) 3732700 / 2600
Fax. (+267) 3952261
Email:melsdpr@gov.bw
Toll-Free Number: 0800 600 186
Department of Labour and Social Security
Head office, Gaborone
Tel. (+267) 37372772
Ministry Office Location & Contact Details

All Regional Labour Office contact list;
Gaborone Regional Labour Office I Tel. (+267) 3971406
Gaborone Regional Labour Office II Tel. (+267) 3956019
Francistown Regional Labour Office Tel. (+267) 2416933
Lobatse Regional Labour Office Tel. (+267) 5332569
Maun Regional Labour Office Tel. (+267) 68622705/2418
Selibe Phikwe Regional Labour Office Tel. (+267) 2611598
Serowe Regional Labour Office Tel. (+267) 4632579
Kasane Regional Labour Office Tel. (+267) 6250216

Botswana Council of Non-Government Organisations (BOCONGO)
Address:Plot No. 54513 Unit 5 Courtyard Village, Gaborone
Botswana
Private Bag 00418 Gaborone,
Botswana
Tel: +267 3911319
Fax: +267 3912935
Email : info@bocongo.org.bw
BOCONGO Website
Business hours: Monday-Friday from 8:00 am-1:00 pm and 2:00 pm -5:00 pm, closed during Public Holidays & Weekends.

• Non-citizen employees in Non-Governmental Organizations are eligible to make the application.

The legal fee:

• Three (3) months Emergency Work Permit- BWP 1,000.00
• Up to seven (7) days Emergency Work Permit- No cost
• Normal Work Permit fee - BWP 1,500.00
• Work Permit renewal fee - BWP 1,500.00
• Work Permit Replacement/ Duplicate fee - BWP 1,500.00
• Late renewal submission fee - BWP 500.00 + BWP 20.00 each day after the expiry of permits

The validity of the work permit shall exceed (01) one year and should be renewed atleast month before the expiration of the current permit.

Please attach documents that can be used by people. e.g. links

Please attach sample completed documents that would help other people.

• The processing time is within fourteen (14) Working days.

Videos explaining the procedure or to fill the applications.
Attach videos using the following tag <&video type='website'>video ID|width|height<&/video&> from external websites.
Please remove the '&' inside the tags during implementation.
Website = allocine, blip, dailymotion, facebook, gametrailers, googlevideo, html5, metacafe, myspace, revver,
sevenload, viddler, vimeo, youku, youtube
width = 560, height = 340, Video ID = Can be obtained from the URL of webpage where the video is dkisplayed.
e.g In the following url 'http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0US7oR_t3M' Video ID is 'Y0US7oR_t3M'.

Please provide other instructions related to the certificate/documents.
e.g. The state office holds birth records since January 1908.

• Name of organization.
• Physical and Postal address of organization.
• Telephone number and E-mail address of organization.
• Name of employee
• Job title
• Residential address
• Passport ( Number , Place of issue , Date of issue , Date of expiry )
• Personal particulars of the person for whom permit is required
• Nationality/ Gender/ Age
• Employee's qualifications
• Qualification of employee
• Application Type
• Reasons for Seeking an Expatriate
• Advertisement details of the position.
• Employment contract details
• Declaration by the applicant

• All foreign expatriate workers who wish to take up employment in Botswana need to apply for a work permit.
• No non-citizens of Botswana may engage in any occupation or investment unless they have been granted a work permit for Botswana under the Employment of the Non-Citizens Act or are the holder of a certificate of exemption.
• It is further stated that no employer shall engage a non-citizen if the citizen is not a holder of a valid work permit for Botswana or the holder of a certificate of exemption.

Enter other information which might help.

• The work permit is required when applying for a resident permit.

Botswana Investment and Trade Center
Emergency work permit
Work Permit Application

More information which might help people.