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Born in Lesotho

Anyone born in Lesotho is a citizen at birth, whatever the parents' nationality or status, apart from children of foreign diplomats.

Passport45 visa-freeof 218 countriesPapers ready inAbout 7 daysafter the birthDual citizenshipAllowedKeeps yours tooHealth care55/100
Baby's passport feeLSL 130
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  • Health compared with home
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Who qualifies:No citizenship by birth where neither parent is a citizen and a parent is a foreign diplomat, or an enemy alien in occupied territory.

For your baby

  • Citizen from birthA Lesotho passport of their own
  • 45 countries visa-freeof 218 countries
  • Keeps your citizenship tooLesotho allows dual citizenship
  • Free to live, study and workIn Lesotho, for life
Government of Lesotho - Lesotho Constitution Constitution of Lesotho 1993, s.38 · checked Nov 3, 2026

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Whether having your baby in Lesotho gives you residence or a faster route to citizenship.

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How to start

Baby's papers: about 7 days or more after the birth
  1. 1
    Get to Lesotho legallySign in to see the visa your passport needs.Prepare your Visitor visa and visa-exempt entry application Most parents stay about 3 months: airlines limit late-pregnancy flights.
  2. 2
    Register the birthNational Identity and Civil Registration (NICR), Ministry of Home AffairsOfficial source
  3. 3
    Get the baby's passportFee LSL 130 · regular 32-page passport (M250-300 for 64 pages); same fee for minors under 16Official source About 7 daysHome Affairs says a regular passport takes up to 5 working days; an emergency passport is available for a higher fee (time not stated).Official source
  4. 4
    Pass on your own citizenship
    • Lesotho allows dual citizenship: the baby can hold both.

Where a Lesotho passport goes visa-free

44 of 218 countries
Europe1
  • Kosovo
Asia5
  • Hong Kong SAR China
  • Japan
  • Malaysia
  • Philippines
  • Singapore
Africa15
  • Angola
  • Benin
  • Botswana
  • Kenya
  • Malawi
  • Mauritius
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Sierra Leone
  • South Africa
  • Tanzania
  • Togo
  • Uganda
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe
Latin America2
  • Belize
  • Ecuador
Caribbean15
  • Antigua & Barbuda
  • Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • British Virgin Islands
  • Cayman Islands
  • Dominica
  • Grenada
  • Haiti
  • Jamaica
  • Montserrat
  • St. Kitts & Nevis
  • St. Lucia
  • St. Vincent & Grenadines
  • Trinidad & Tobago
  • Turks & Caicos Islands
Oceania6
  • Cook Islands
  • Fiji
  • Kiribati
  • Micronesia
  • Samoa
  • Vanuatu

Visa-free or free movement, from official entry rules. Stays and conditions vary.

Cost estimate Premium

The official costs of having your baby there: visa, birth, stay and passport.

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Health for mother and baby

  • Mothers' deaths in childbirth478 per 100k births
  • Infant deaths (under 1)56 per 1,000
  • Newborn deaths (first 28 days)29 per 1,000
  • Health care coverage score55 / 100
World Bank (WHO, UN IGME estimates), latest 2023.

Currency

Lesotho LotiLSL
1 US dollarLSL 16.61
Against the US dollarWeaker-8% in value, 2020 to 2025 (official yearly average).

Today's rate: ExchangeRate-API. Trend: World Bank.

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A licensed advisor can help you through this phase in Lesotho: the visa, the hospital, registering the birth and the baby's passport.

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From the visa to the baby's passport, everything for Lesotho in one place.

Information from official sources, not legal advice. Rules change: check the official page before you travel.