Government and civic planning

Work permit cost calculator for all 54 African countries.

Build a practical budget before you hire, relocate, or renew. Select a country, permit route, family size, urgency, legal-support level, and document assumptions to estimate government fees, employer costs, dependant costs, travel, translations, medical checks, and contingency.

Start calculation Check source notes

Permit budget inputs

Country profiles are planning defaults, not live government fee tables. Edit any line item after choosing the country if your embassy, immigration portal, or employer has a current quote.

Changing country updates the currency, official-fee assumption, timeline, and authority note.
Used to show payroll exposure while a permit is pending.
Days until the person is expected to start work.
Editable government and document line items

Methodology and assumptions

The calculator starts with a country planning profile, then applies route multipliers, support level, dependants, document costs, travel, labour-market advertising where relevant, and a contingency buffer. Official fees are treated as editable assumptions because African immigration portals, embassy schedules, exchange rates, and permit categories can change without warning. The payroll exposure metric is not a fine or government charge; it is a planning view of salary value at risk if approval slips beyond the target start date.

Next-step checklist

  • Open the immigration authority or embassy page for the destination country and confirm the fee schedule for the exact permit class.
  • Ask whether the employer must complete labour-market testing, quota approval, professional-body registration, or local sponsorship before filing.
  • Confirm whether documents need apostille, notarisation, translation, police clearance, medical checks, or in-country biometrics.
  • Do not let the employee start work until the correct visa, permit, or work authorisation is issued.

Related tools and country guides

Use these pages to move from a budget estimate to country-specific planning and employer cost checks.

Country guide

Nigeria work permit guide

Review the Nigeria route alongside CERPAC and employer sponsorship notes.

 Country guide

Kenya Class D planning

Use the Kenya guide with eFNS and Class D employment permit assumptions.

 Country guide

South Africa work visa guide

Compare general, critical skills, and intra-company transfer planning steps.

 Country guide

Ghana work permit guide

Check Ministry of the Interior and Ghana Immigration fee assumptions.

 Employer planning

Employee cost calculator

Model payroll, benefits, and employer-side costs after the permit budget.

Disclaimer

This tool is for general planning only. It is not legal advice, immigration advice, tax advice, or an official government service. Work rights depend on the exact country, permit class, employer status, nationality, documents, local labour rules, and current regulations. Verify with the relevant authority, embassy, licensed immigration lawyer, or qualified adviser before filing or letting anyone work.

Sources and freshness notes

Reviewed 22 May 2026 Fee schedules and forms change frequently. These links are used as official reference points for method and sample assumptions; use the current authority page for the final filing amount.