START-UP BUSINESS PROCEDURES

Investment Regulation

The Government of Tonga regulates investment mainly through legislation, although in some instances where specific legislation does not exist policy is applied on a case by case basis. The three principle instruments of legislation are… Read more »

Access to Land

Access to land in Tonga is by way of leasing: it is illegal to buy and sell land. All land in the country is organised into estates belonging to the King and his nobles, or the government. Individual titles to land within these estates are also held by Tongan born males over the age of 16 who have been successful in registering the land… Read more »

Visas

Visas are available for foreign investors choosing to reside in Tonga (Business visa), and for expatriates employed by both foreign and domestic companies (Employment visa). Visas are granted by the Immigration Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and in both cases, Foreign Affairs will require a letter of support from the Ministry of Labour, Commerce and Industry (MLCI)… Read more »

Investment Incentives

Tonga’s investment incentive scheme is being repealed to enable compliance with WTO accession requirements. At the same time, Government as part of its tax reform program is committed to bringing down the Customs Duty in the Industrial Sector to a fix rate of zero in terms of its input costs… Read more »