Palau Travel Guide
Visa summary
247 passport nationalities researched for entry into Palau.
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Guide
Palau gives most nationalities 30 days visa free, but Executive Order No. 499, effective 30 March 2026, removed the visa on arrival privilege for citizens of 12 specific nations, who now need advance clearance or a visa arranged before boarding their flight, a genuine change from the broadly open policy Palau was known for. Every visitor, regardless of nationality or stay length, has to pay the Pristine Paradise Environmental Fee, 100 US dollars, though airlines typically build this into the ticket price so it rarely shows up as a separate payment at the airport, and it is refundable for diplomats and transit passengers.
Every visitor also has to read and sign the Palau Pledge, a personal commitment to the country's environment submitted no more than 72 hours before arrival, and each traveler needs to show either the completed entry form or its resulting QR code on arrival, a distinctly Palau requirement not common elsewhere in the region.
Border crossings
- Roman Tmetuchl International Airport, Airai, Babeldaob
Palau's only international airport, where the Palau Pledge QR code and, for most visitors, the visa free stamp are checked together.
Transit routes
- Sign the Palau Pledge within the 72 hour window before you fly
Not something to do weeks in advance, the timing requirement is specific and worth planning around your actual departure.
- Check whether your nationality is one of the 12 affected by the March 2026 order
If so, advance clearance or a visa is now required, a real change from the visa on arrival most guides still describe.
Entry point notes
- The 100 dollar environmental fee is nearly always pre-paid
Built into most airline tickets, so it should not come as a surprise cost at the airport, but worth confirming with your specific airline.
- Twelve nationalities lost visa on arrival in March 2026
An older source describing Palau as open to essentially everyone on arrival needs a second look against this change.