Contents
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Private enquiry →Browse intelligence →Country overview
The Solomon Islands is one of the least developed destinations in the Pacific, with roughly 87% customary land tenure, limited infrastructure outside Honiara, and periodic civil unrest tied to unresolved political tensions. It is not currently a meaningful residency or lifestyle destination for foreign nationals.
Tax overview
Progressive rates up to 30% above SBD 15,000; residents (present 6+ months) taxed on worldwide income, non-residents on local-source income only. Exact bracket boundaries vary across sources — confirm directly with the Inland Revenue Division before publishing precise figures.
Safety
Moderate — US State Department rates the country Level 2, citing crime, health risks, unexploded WWII ordnance, and civil unrest. The November 2021 Honiara riots caused an estimated SI$500 million in damage; underlying tensions remain a government-classified national security concern.
Healthcare
Considered below international standards; rural-urban disparity is significant and many trained professionals emigrate. Medical evacuation to Cairns or Townsville, Australia, is standard for serious conditions and can cost USD 50,000–100,000.
Education
Limited tertiary options; most professional education happens abroad. Rural-urban disparity in school quality is significant.
Investment routes
There is currently no active CBI or RBI program. In September 2024, Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele confirmed the Attorney General's Chambers had completed a first draft of a Citizenship-by-Investment Bill, following a June 2024 100-Day Plan announcement — but as of this writing the bill has not been passed or launched.
No formal retirement or passive-income visa category exists. Roughly 87% of land is customary and cannot be owned by foreigners at all — only leased, and leases require community consent rather than a single landowner's sign-off.
Work permits
All non-citizens (except diplomatic/Commonwealth government staff) need a Work Permit, which is employer-tied and subject to a Labour Market Test confirming no qualified Solomon Islander is available.
Work Permit
Employer-sponsored, initial validity 1–2 years, renewable. Common sectors: construction, mining, fisheries, telecom, NGOs.
Investor Permit
For foreign investors establishing or acquiring a qualifying local business, granting longer-term residence and work rights.
Economic opportunity
Services, agriculture/fishing/forestry, and hospitality make up the bulk of GDP. Logging and fisheries licensing are major foreign-exchange earners, alongside heavy aid dependency (historically 30–67% of GNI) and growing labour-mobility remittances.
GDP
≈ USD 1.7 billion (2024)
Key industries
No specific investment thresholds are published for the Investor Permit — direct inquiry to the Solomon Islands Investment Corporation is recommended for anyone pursuing this route today.
Who this programme suits
Solomon Islands is not currently a viable investment-migration destination — its relevance to this content is watching whether the drafted CBI Bill is eventually enacted, not a route to use today.
Investors tracking Pacific CBI legislative developments (the draft Bill specifically)
NGO, mining, and fisheries-sector professionals entering via employer-sponsored Work Permits
Regional investors establishing a qualifying local business under the Investor Permit
Common origin countries