Visa & Immigration

1. Ak kirek el mengemanget a visa er ngak.

   Ak ki-rek el me-nge-ma-nget a vi-sa er ngak.

   I need to extend my visa.

   Usage

   Used when applying for a visa extension

   Grammar Note

   "Mengemanget" is the transitive verb "lengthen" (derived from kemanget = long); "lmuut" means "return / do again", not "extend". Palauan has no native word for "visa", so the English word is used as is, matching immigration practice in Palau

2. Ng ngera a babier el kirek?

   Ng nge-ra a ba-bi-er el ki-rek?

   What documents do I need?

   Usage

   Used to ask which documents are required

   Grammar Note

   "Ng ngera a X?" is the set frame for "what is X?". For "document", Palauan uses babier (from German, paper/letter/document).

3. Ng ngar er ker a obis er a Immigration?

   Ng ngar er ker a o-bis er a Im-mi-gra-tion?

   Where is the immigration office?

   Usage

   Used to find the immigration office

   Grammar Note

   "Ng ngar er ker a X?" is the set frame for "where is X?". "Techa" means "who" and cannot ask about a place

4. Ngar er ngak a visa el tourist.

   Ngar er ngak a vi-sa el tou-rist.

   I have a tourist visa.

   Usage

   Used to state the type of visa held

   Grammar Note

   Possession is expressed with "ngar er" + pronoun ("it exists at me"); ngar is "be located / exist"

5. Ng tela el klebesei a sebechek el kiei?

   Ng te-la el kle-be-sei a se-be-chek el ki-ei?

   How long can I stay?

   Usage

   Used to ask about the permitted length of stay

   Grammar Note

   Duration is asked with "Ng tela el klebesei" (how many days/nights). Klebesei has two senses: "night" and "a 24-hour period" (30 klebesei = one month). "Teletelel" means "its way/method", not "its length"

6. Ng soak el melai a visa.

   Ng so-ak el me-lai a vi-sa.

   I would like to apply for a visa.

   Usage

   Used when wanting to apply for a visa

   Grammar Note

   "Soak" is the 1st-person singular possessive of sau (liking) and takes the subject marker ng; "soam" is 2nd person and cannot mean "I". There is no word for "apply", so this uses melai (get, obtain). "Omerolel" is the 3rd-person possessed form of omerael (a trip) and has nothing to do with applying

7. Ng tela a cheral a visa?

   Ng te-la a che-ral a vi-sa?

   What is the visa fee?

   Usage

   Used to inquire about visa fees

   Grammar Note

   The same frame as the examples "Ng tela a cheral?" (how much does it cost?) and "Ng tela a cheral a kelek?" (what is the cost of our food?). "Cheral" is the 3rd-person possessed form of "price"

8. A ullebengelel a passport er ngak a [sils].

   A ul-le-be-nge-lel a pass-port er ngak a [sils].

   My passport expires on [date].

   Usage

   Used to communicate a passport expiry date; replace [sils] (day) with the actual date

   Grammar Note

   There is no verb for "expire", so this uses ullebengelel, the 3rd-person possessed form of ullebongel (end, completion): "the end of my passport is [date]"

9. Ak kirek a visa el transit.

   Ak ki-rek a vi-sa el tran-sit.

   I need a transit visa.

   Usage

   Used when a transit visa is required

   Grammar Note

   "Kirek" is the 1st-person singular possessed form of kirel (obligation, must); "el" is the linker joining a noun to its modifier

10. Ak meluches a arrival card er ker?

    Ak me-lu-ches a arri-val card er ker?

    Where do I fill in the arrival card?

    Usage

    Used to ask where to complete the arrival card

    Grammar Note

    Place is asked with sentence-final "er ker?" — the same frame as "Ak mo er a gasoline station er ker?". Note that meluches is two homographs: "write / draw" and "prop open (an umbrella)".

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