Living in Lesotho as a French National: Cities, Formalities and Daily Life

Lesotho offers exceptional mountain landscapes, a highland climate and the life of a small capital. A constitutional kingdom ruled by King Letsie III since 7 February 1996, it is entirely enclosed within South African territory, with which it shares a common monetary area.

• Strengths: nature, hiking, a calm pace of life, English and Sesotho as official languages, proximity to South Africa for advanced care and travel.
• Points of caution: difficult roads, changeable mountain weather, weak health infrastructure, HIV prevalence of 25%, heightened vigilance across the whole territory, a political situation judged uncertain by France Diplomatie.
• Consular isolation: no French embassy or consulate on the spot; an honorary consul, who runs the Alliance française of Maseru, is mentioned by France Diplomatie for long excursions.

Maseru, the capital, concentrates administrations, embassies and services. France Diplomatie names Teyateyaneng and Mafeteng as main towns. Vigilance is required between the business district and the hotels in Maseru and in the secondary towns, where bag snatching and vehicle thefts, sometimes with violence, are common.

The mountain areas attract hikers and nature lovers, with particular rules: report to village chiefs before spending the night on a long hike or camping, as people sleeping in a tent without having declared their presence risk assaults; report to the honorary consul before any long excursion, especially in winter.

Between June and October, snowfall frequently blocks traffic; from November to February, thunderstorms are violent and lightning claims victims every year. The choice of a place to live is made according to winter road access, the safety of the neighbourhood and the distance to a care facility.

The currency is the loti, at parity with the South African rand, in the common monetary area with Namibia and Eswatini; the rand is widely accepted. Bank cards are accepted only in tourist establishments and large banks, hence the value of having cash in rand or loti for everyday purchases.

GDP per capita is below 1,000 US dollars; diaspora remittances represent nearly 20% of GDP. South Africa supplies 79% of imports: the prices of many products therefore follow South African prices. Current inflation appears in the “Economic indicators” block.

No official average rent was read for this guide; housing budgets are compared on the spot with several landlords, with checks on heating, water, electricity and the security of the home.

Holders of a French passport are exempt from a visa for a stay of fewer than 14 days: a visitor visa is issued on arrival. The passport must be valid for at least three months after the date of exit and have two blank pages. Under certain conditions, a 30-day extension can be requested from Home Affairs before the visa expires (P.O. Box 363, Maseru, +266 2232218).

For more than 14 days, a visa is required: the application is made by email to visa-applications.immigrations@gov.ls, a three-month single-entry visa being issued first. On the spot, it is possible to ask Home Affairs for a long-stay visa of more than three months with multiple entries. Exceeding the authorised length exposes you to a fine.

At the border with South Africa, check that both authorities have stamped the passport; not all posts are open 24 hours a day and, from Lesotho by land, the South African authorities generally grant seven days’ stay instead of the three months granted to travellers coming from France. For rental vehicles, you must tell the rental company of your intention to go to Lesotho, which issues specific documents; insurance covering the vehicle’s recovery throughout the territory is advised. Entry and exit of plants and animals are subject to strict controls, and pets must have their vaccination record up to date.

Once settled, a French national registers on the register of French nationals living abroad with the Consulate General in Johannesburg and with Fil d’Ariane (the ministry’s alert service) to receive the ministry’s alerts. The consulate has no telephone number given on the France Diplomatie page devoted to Lesotho: its website and social accounts serve as the point of contact.

The France Diplomatie pages devoted to Lesotho contain no information on a French school, and the country has no French representation. Families ask the Consulate General in Johannesburg and the directory of the Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE), and compare local, South African and distance-learning options.

For children, up-to-date vaccinations, BCG vaccination for under-15s on a prolonged stay and vigilance regarding tuberculosis should be discussed with a doctor; see children’s cover abroad and expatriate family insurance.

The country is under heightened vigilance across the whole territory: significant road risk linked to the state of the roads, drivers’ behaviour, natural hazards and animals, weak health infrastructure and an uncertain political situation; you must remain very vigilant and stay away from any gathering on the public highway. In the event of an assault, it is advised not to offer resistance.

Travelling at nightfall is discouraged, in town as in rural areas; you should drive with doors locked and windows closed, avoid isolated parking, notably at scenic viewpoints where tourists have been assaulted, and not use local buses and taxis. Minibuses are discouraged, being often poorly maintained and involved in many accidents.

On legislation, narcotics are severely punished; Lesotho retains provisions that penalise homosexuality, but they are not applied in practice according to France Diplomatie; buying protected plants such as the spiral aloe exposes you to heavy fines.

Traffic drives on the left; bad weather can make roads and tracks impassable, even for 4x4s, with recommended maximum speeds of 100 km/h on roads and 80 km/h on tracks, seat belts mandatory and reduced loads. The international driving permit is needed and is requested in advance in France on the website of the ANTS (the French national agency for secure documents). In the event of an accident with another vehicle, it is recommended not to stop and to go to the nearest police station.

The prolonged drought in southern Africa is particularly marked in Lesotho: access to water and food is affected in rural areas, and it is common for villagers to ask visitors for food; it is advised not to take offence and to anticipate these requests.

For health cover, see expat health insurance, the healthcare system in Lesotho and reimbursements in Lesotho.