Lesotho study entry visa for Bangladeshis: documents, fee and e-visa gap
Last checked against official sources on
The Lesotho Embassy in the USA marks Bangladesh as "YES - Citizens always require a Visa to enter Lesotho" 1.
Where to apply
The Ministry of Home Affairs says foreign nationals must get a visa through Lesotho's e-visa system. Its e-visa link points to a path titled "online-visa-applications-suspended", which returned a 404 when fetched 2. The page also links a VFS Global form (South Africa, LEP) 2. The Embassy in the USA page says applications go by email to visa-applications.immigration@gov.ls, or at the Ministry of Home Affairs by a host. Approved applicants receive a 72-hour visa-on-arrival letter by email. Entry is only through the Maseru Port of Entry or Moshoeshoe I International Airport 1. Which Lesotho mission serves Bangladesh is not confirmed.
Study entry visa
The gov.ls e-service lists a study entry visa under Category 13. The documents are 3:
- an application letter and an invitation letter from the sponsor
- an admission letter and a statement of tuition fees for the whole period
- confirmation of registration from the Ministry of Education
- passport copies of the applicant and the sponsor
- a residence permit, where applicable
- previous-level educational certificates
- proof of sponsorship, such as a funder letter or a bank statement for the study period
- a medical report, medical insurance and a return ticket
The page lists 3-5 working days for its categories, not specifically for study 3. The embassy page says up to ten working days and has no student category 1. The fee is M1,000 for single entry and M2,000 for multiple entry for most categories, and the page does not say which applies to study 3.
The gov.ls page notes a South African transit or visa requirement for applicants from Bangladesh and Pakistan under several categories, including tertiary. The study category itself does not mention Bangladesh 3.
Lesotho has no status tracker on the pages read, so keep the email thread from your application ready when you ask the immigration office for progress.
Sources
Every numbered citation above links to one of these official pages.
