Haiti
HTIHaiti is in a state of near-total security collapse driven by armed gang coalitions — most prominently the Viv Ensemble alliance led by Jimmy Chérizier ('Barbecue') — that control an estimated 80% of Port-au-Prince as of early 2025. Gang violence triggered a humanitarian emergency affecting 5.5 million people, with over 700,000 internally displaced.
A Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSSM) deployed in 2024 but has had limited impact against entrenched armed groups. The government operates under a transitional presidential council following the 2021 assassination of President Moïse. Kidnapping for ransom, roadblocks, and extortion are routine. Foreign governments universally advise against all travel. No functional residency programme exists in practice.
- Naturalisation
- 5 years
- Tax system
- Territorial
- Currency
- Haitian Gourde (HTG)
- Dual citizenship
- Allowed
- Capital
- Port-au-Prince
- Region
- americas
- Population
- 11,470,000
- Cost-of-living
- 28 /100
Passport Rank
#100
Visa-Free
43
destinations
Visa-free travel
A Haiti passport has visa-free access to 43 destinations. See the full Haiti passport breakdown →
Passports that enter Haiti without a prior visa (190)
Visa-free, visa on arrival, or on an eTA.
Community-sourced (passport-index, synced 2026-08-18) — verify with the embassy before travel.
Immigrating to Canada from Haiti
Current IRCC processing times for Haiti nationals, by application type.
| Visitor visa (outside Canada) | 23 days |
| Super visa | 36 days |
| Study permit | 3 weeks |
| Work permit | 6 weeks |
| Sponsor a dependent child | 32 months |
| Adopted child (citizenship) | 43 months |
| Government-assisted refugees | Not enough data |
| Privately sponsored refugees | sponsor: Not enough data / refugee: Not enough data |
Your application may take longer than the times shown here. They’re not a maximum or a guarantee.
As of 2026-09-22 (IRCC). See all Canada processing times →
Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — “Check processing times”. This is a copy of the version available at https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html. Reproduced under the Government of Canada’s non-commercial reproduction terms; not endorsed by or affiliated with IRCC.
Sources & last verified
Government of Canada — non-commercial reproduction (canada.ca Terms and conditions)
Country Details
- Capital
- Port-au-Prince
- Currency
- Haitian Gourde (HTG)
- Languages
- Haitian Creole, French
- Population
- 11,470,000
- Tax System
- Territorial
- Dual Citizenship
- Allowed
- Naturalisation
- 5 years
- Schengen / EU
- No
- Climate
- Tropical; hot and humid, with a rainy season from April to June and October to November; hurricane risk June to November
- GDP per capita
- $2,694
- Life expectancy
- 65.12 yrs
- Population growth
- 1.13%/yr
- Territorial Taxation
- Yes — foreign-sourced income may not be taxed
GDP per capita, life expectancy, and population growth: World Bank (2025).
Indices
Cost of Living
28
Safety
11
Healthcare
18
Quality of Life
14
Tax Summary
- Tax System
- Territorial
- Territorial Taxation
- Yes — foreign-sourced income may not be taxed
- Naturalisation
- 5 years of legal residency
- Dual Citizenship
- Allowed
Cost of Living by City
← scroll the table →
| City | Rent 1BR centre | Rent outside | Groceries | Utilities | Transit pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port-au-Prince | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cap-Haïtien | — | — | — | — | — |
| Les Cayes | — | — | — | — | — |
Monthly USD figures. Typical central 1-bedroom rent, grocery basket for one, household utilities, monthly transit pass.
Visa Categories & Immigration Authority
Major Visa Categories
- Tourist
- Long-stay
- Work
- Family
- Student
- Diaspora Return
- Authority
- Direction de l'Immigration et de l'Émigration
- Official Portal
- mi.gouv.ht
- Phone
- +509 2945-0001
- info@mi.gouv.ht
Naturalisation Details
- Residence Years
- Language Test
- No
- Civic Test
- No
- Oath Required
- No
- Dual Allowed
- No
- Fee
- —
- Processing
- —
Safety
GPI Rank
#163
Global Peace Index ranking (lower is safer)
Regulators & official sources
Bodies that regulate immigration advice in Haiti, and the official sources indexed for it by Visa Atlas. Descriptions are verbatim; each links to its source.
Embassy of Haiti Consular Section
Consular SectionOfficial Haitian consular guidance for visas, passport services, document authentication, consular fees and related submission rules through the Embassy of Haiti.
Related Guides
Zero and low-tax residencies: the real list
Countries with zero personal income tax, territorial-only taxation, or special expatriate regimes — and what each one actually requires from you to qualify as a resident.
Exit tax: countries that charge you to leave
Country-by-country reference of departure taxes, deemed-disposition rules, and wealth-locking regimes that trigger when tax residency ends.
Related on The Citizenship Desk
Visa routes
Official visa and residence routes for Haiti, indexed from Visa Atlas. Each links to its government source. This is a licensed external index, distinct from our own curated visa guides.
Short-term / business
Diplomatic and Official Visas
Short-term / businessHaiti diplomatic and official visa route for diplomatic or official passport holders and UN laissez-passer holders.
Tourist Visa
Short-term / businessHaiti tourist visa and visitor-entry route based on the official Embassy of Haiti tourist visa guidance.
Sources & last verified
Route index from Visa Atlas (CC BY 4.0), as of 2026-09-12. Each route links to its official government source.
Sources & last verified
- Last verified