Timor-Leste

Dealing with Construction Permits in

Timor-Leste

Listed below is detailed summary of the procedures, time and costs to build a warehouse —including obtaining necessary licenses and permits, completing required notifications and inspections and obtaining utility connections. 

The information appearing on this page was collected as part of the Doing Business project, which measures and compares regulations relevant to the life cycle of a small- to medium-sized domestic business in 183 economies. The most recent round of data collection for the project was completed in June 2011.

  • Building a warehouse

  • Estimated Warehouse Value: USD 30,000
  • City: Dili

About This Topic

To see indicator data for all economies, see the Dealing with Construction Permits page. To see how economies rank, see the Rankings page.

No. Procedure Time to Complete Associated Costs
1 Request a "no objection" letter from the Land and Property Department



Agency: Land and Property Department
1 day no charge
2 Receive inspection certificate from the Land and Property Department

The Land and Property Department does not issue certificates of ownership or right of use of land. It issues a no-objection letter because it is not yet able to issue titles. The time to obtain this document varies from 1–2 weeks if the applicant knows the right people, up to 6 months if the applicant is an outsider. A reasonable estimate is 1–2 months. The Land and Property Department performs a site inspection before issuing the letter.

Agency: Land and Property Department
1 day no charge
3 Obtain a "no objection" letter from the Land and Property department



Agency: Land and Property Department
45 days no charge
* 4 Obtain project clearance from the Department of Environment and Development



Agency: Department of Environment and Development
30 days no charge
5 Submit application for building permit



Agency: Public Works
1 day no charge
6 Receive inspection from the Public Works office



Agency: Public Works
1 day no charge
7 Obtain building permit

The building permit is issued at no change. To obtain the permit, the investor needs to submit the no-objection letter from the Land and Property Department, the environmental clearance, and the architectural and engineering plans/drawings. It takes 2 to 3 weeks to obtain a permit in the best-case scenario and if the investor constantly follows up. Otherwise, it takes an average of 3 months to receive a building permit.
88 days no charge
8 Receive excavation work inspection



Agency: Public Works
1 day no charge
9 Receive foundations work inspection



Agency: Public Works
1 day no charge
10 Receive concrete work inspection



Agency: Public Works
1 day no charge
11 Receive labor inspection

A labor inspection occurs on a random basis. It often results from a complaint filed by the workers with the Ministry of Labor. If there is no complaint, this inspection is less likely to occur.

Agency: Public Works
1 day no charge
12 Receive final inspection



Agency: Public Works
1 day no charge
13 Obtain approval upon completion of project from the Public Works and municipality



Agency: Public Works and Municipality
14 days no charge
* 14 Apply for water and sewerage connection



Agency: Water and Sewage Authority
1 day no charge
15 Receive water and sewerage inspection



Agency: Water and Sewage Authority
1 day no charge
16 Obtain water and sewerage connection



Agency: Water and Sewage Authority
50 days USD 500
* 17 Request telephone line from Timor Telecom

To obtain a telephone connection, the investor sends a letter requesting connection to Timor Telecom. A couple of weeks later, Timor Telecom sends a technician out to inspect the site.

For a simple local line, the cost is USD 50 (USD 10 for monthly fee, USD 20 for activation and USD 20 for installation).

Agency: Timor Telecom
1 day no charge
18 Receive inspection from Timor Telecom



Agency: Timor Telecom
1 day no charge
* 19 Obtain phone connection



Agency: Timor Telecom
30 days USD 50
* Takes place simultaneously with another procedure.