Palau
PLWPalau is a small island nation in the western Pacific comprising over 500 islands, with a population of roughly 18,000. It operates under a Compact of Free Association (COFA) with the United States, granting Palauan citizens the right to live and work in the US and allowing US citizens visa-free entry to Palau. The economy is heavily reliant on tourism — particularly scuba diving and eco-tourism — which accounts for the majority of GDP, supplemented by US financial assistance under the Compact.
Palau uses the US dollar and imposes no corporate income tax on foreign-sourced income, though a gross revenue tax applies locally. It is renowned for its strict environmental protections, including a landmark ban on certain sunscreen chemicals and the Palau National Marine Sanctuary covering 80% of its waters.
- Naturalisation
- 5 years
- Tax system
- Residence Based
- Currency
- US Dollar (USD)
- Dual citizenship
- Not allowed
- Capital
- Ngerulmud
- Region
- oceania
- Population
- 18,000
- Cost-of-living
- 72 /100
Passport Rank
#68
Visa-Free
102
destinations
Visa-free travel
A Palau passport has visa-free access to 102 destinations. See the full Palau passport breakdown →
Passports that enter Palau without a prior visa (192)
Visa-free, visa on arrival, or on an eTA.
Community-sourced (passport-index, synced 2026-08-18) — verify with the embassy before travel.
Country Details
- Capital
- Ngerulmud
- Currency
- US Dollar (USD)
- Languages
- Palauan, English
- Population
- 18,000
- Tax System
- Residence Based
- Dual Citizenship
- Not allowed
- Naturalisation
- 5 years
- Schengen / EU
- No
- Climate
- Tropical oceanic; warm and humid year-round with a pronounced wet season from May to October
- GDP per capita
- $19,532
- Life expectancy
- 69.38 yrs
- Population growth
- -0.18%/yr
GDP per capita, life expectancy, and population growth: World Bank (2025).
Indices
Cost of Living
72
Safety
74
Healthcare
38
Quality of Life
48
Tax Summary
- Tax System
- Residence Based
- Territorial Taxation
- No — worldwide income taxed for residents
- Naturalisation
- 5 years of legal residency
- Dual Citizenship
- Not allowed
Cost of Living by City
← scroll the table →
| City | Rent 1BR centre | Rent outside | Groceries | Utilities | Transit pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ngerulmud | — | — | — | — | — |
| Koror | — | — | — | — | — |
| Airai | — | — | — | — | — |
Monthly USD figures. Typical central 1-bedroom rent, grocery basket for one, household utilities, monthly transit pass.
Visa Categories & Immigration Authority
Major Visa Categories
- Visitor (visa-free 1 year US/EU/Japan)
- Work
- Investor
- Family
- Student
- Authority
- Bureau of Immigration
- Official Portal
- www.palaugov.pw
Naturalisation Details
- Residence Years
- Language Test
- No
- Civic Test
- No
- Oath Required
- No
- Dual Allowed
- No
- Fee
- —
- Processing
- —
Safety
GPI Rank
—
Global Peace Index ranking (lower is safer)
Regulators & official sources
Bodies that regulate immigration advice in Palau, and the official sources indexed for it by Visa Atlas. Descriptions are verbatim; each links to its source.
Republic of Palau National Government
PalauGovOfficial national government portal publishing entry-stamp directives, tourist visa renewal regulation, work-visa executive orders and public-service documents.
Digital Residency Office
DROOfficial Palau Digital Residency Office page and programme regulation source; digital residency should not be treated as physical immigration residence without separate authority confirmation.
Related Guides
Related on The Citizenship Desk
Visa routes
Official visa and residence routes for Palau, indexed from Visa Atlas. Each links to its government source. This is a licensed external index, distinct from our own curated visa guides.
Residence
Digital Residency Program
ResidenceOfficial Palau Digital Residency Office route for digital-residency programme checks, not physical immigration residence.
Residence, Family or Study Authority Check
ResidencePalau authority-check route for residence, family or study cases where public route-level checklists are incomplete.
Short-term / business
Tourist Visa Renewal Check
Short-term / businessPalau tourist visa renewal authority-check route based on the official immigration regulation amendment.
Visitor Entry Visa Stamp Check
Short-term / businessPalau visitor-entry authority-check route based on the official Palau Pledge Entry Visa Stamp directive.
Work (sponsored)
Work Visa Authority Check
Work (sponsored)Palau work-visa authority-check route based on official work-visa executive-order and employment-form context.
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