VISAS for Southern & East Africa

There are 2 visa categories for Botswana:

1. Non-Visa Category: No visa is required.
No action or fee is needed. Stamp on arrival is for 30 days, and this can be extended. There are many countries that do not need a visa

2. Visa-Category: Visa is required.
Check if you need a visa on this link: Do I need a visa for Botswana »
Apply for your visa here: Apply for your Botswana visa here »

Kenya’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system is now operational. This means that guests no longer need to apply for a Kenya Visa. All travellers, including infants and children (except citizens of Kenya and EAC partner states) arriving in Kenya from 4th January 2024, are now required to apply for ETA online via http://www.etakenya.go.ke prior to their arrival.

Please be advised of the below requirements for ETA applications:

Requirements: All Travellers:

• Valid passport (6-month validity from the date of arrival in Kenya, with a minimum of one blank page)
• Passport-style photo
• Contact information (home address, email address and phone number)
• Itinerary details
• Accommodation booking confirmation
• Credit card, debit card, Apple pay for payment of $34 per person

Requirements – dependant on country of residence/travel history:

• Yellow Fever Certificate (if arriving from a Yellow Fever endemic country)
• Additional vaccinations

Travellers are eligible to apply for ETAs within 3 months of their arrival date in Kenya. Following the application, a confirmation will be sent to the email address submitted in the application. Upon approval, the ETA will be sent to the same email address.

Standard processing time for ETAs is three working days and the status of applications can be checked at any time on the ETA website using the ETA reference number.

All previous visa entry requirements for Kenya are now replaced by the requirement of ETAs. All e-visas currently in process will be issued and travellers with existing e-visas will be granted access to Kenya within the validity period of 90 days, without the additional requirement of an ETA. If the parents had added the child Under 12 years on their application or applied for an e-pass for the child, then the child does not need an ETA.

There are three categories of visas for Namibia:

1. Those countries whose citizens do not need a visa.

2. Those countries whose citizens can get a visa on arrival

3. Those countries whose citizens need to apply for a visa prior to arrival. Click here to apply online »

Follow this link to see if you require a visa for travel to Namibia: click here »

Visas are valid up to three months from the date of issue, for stays of up to three months from entry.

Please note as of 1 April 2025, 33 additional countries will now be required to apply for visas. The nationals from these countries however will qualify for visas on arrival upon paying the prescribed fees and meeting the entry requirements in respect of Namibia. The entry requirements in respect of Namibia include but are not limited to a return ticket, medical insurance, proof of means of sustenance while in Namibia, not wanted by any country for criminal activities and passport valid for at least six months on the date of arrival. The fee has been set at one thousand six hundred Namibia Dollars (N$ 1 600-00) per applicant.

There are 2 visa categories for South Africa

Visitors’ visas are for international travellers (citizens of other countries) who have permanent residence outside South Africa and who wish to visit the country on a temporary basis for tourism or business purposes for a period of 90 days or less. Visas are not issued at South African ports of entry, and airline officials are obliged to insist on visas before allowing passengers to board. If you arrive without a visa, immigration officials are obliged to put you onto a flight back to your home country.

1. Non-Visa Category: No visa is required.
   No action is needed. Stamp on arrival is for 90 days, and this can be extended. Many countries do not need a visa.
   This is the list of visa-exempt countries »
2. Visa-Category: Visa is required.
   If you are not on the exempt list then you need to apply for a visa prior to travel
   How to apply for a visa –   Department of Home Affairs – Apply for a South African Visa (dha.gov.za)
   Select countries can apply for an e-visa here »

• Citizens of all countries are allowed to get a visa upon arrival without prior application in Rwanda.
• Citizens of country members of the African Union, Commonwealth, and La Francophonie can get free visas upon arrival in Rwanda for a visit of 30 days.
• Citizens of all countries that are not visa-exempt have the option to submit an application online or at the Rwanda Diplomatic Missions of the country of residence before departure. Those applying online have the option to pay online or upon arrival.
• The visa fees are USD50 for a single entry visa or USD70 for multiple entry.

If you wish to apply for a visa prior to arrival you can apply here. Please note the translate button on the top right in this link.

It is highly recommended that all travellers get an e-visa in advance through the immigration platform: Tanzania eVisa

Applying for an E-Visa in Tanzania:

• The Visa applications will be processed within ten days therefore applicants are strongly advised to observe the stipulated time frame while making their applications.
• After making payments, applicants are required to wait for approval of their Visa before they start their journey. Approval notification will be sent to their e-mail. Or they can access the Visa Grant Notification by checking the Status of their Visa online.
• What is required for an e-visa application?
  • A JPEG pic of your passport biometric page.
  • A JPEG pic of yourself (smaller than 300KB). Don’t worry if you don’t have an official passport photo – a clear image of yourself against a plain background will do.
  • Your round-trip flight ticket – either PDF or JPEG will work.
  • Contact info for your first destination – Your Timeless Africa Safaris travel manager will provide this info.
  • Your mother’s and father’s names and nationalities.
  • Make note of the security question you choose, as it will be required to check your visa status later.
  • Where it asks for ‘host details’, write ‘Self’, as this will save you having to complete the rest of that section.
  • A valid Visa or MasterCard for online payment.

Further notes:

• US citizens must choose multiple-entry visas (single-entry visas are not available to Americans) and the cost is USD 100 rather than USD 50.
• When selecting the ‘Reason for travel’ please select ‘Holiday & Leisure’ to continue the process.
• When selecting your host for the trip, please select ‘Self’.
• To complete the process, you will be asked to upload your return tickets.
• Yes, all visitors to Tanzania must have their own visa to enter the country unless their nationality is visa-exempt. This includes children (under the age of 18) who have their own passports.
• Please note: If you experience Firefox internet browser issues, we suggest using Google Chrome as an alternative.
• Once you have applied – Log into the system and check the status of your application any time between 10-14 days after applying. With a bit of luck, it’ll be approved and ready! Print out the confirmation document: though you might have it on your phone/device, the paper version will be required on arrival, so have this ready.

Please note that visas are also available on arrival however we always recommend applying online prior to arrival to avoid delays. If you need need to apply for a visa on arrival, we recommend the following:

• Ensure you have time to spare – at least 2 hrs (bear this in mind if you have a connecting flight)
• The correct amount of US dollars to pay in cash
• A pen to complete the forms – if provided by the airline, complete the form before you land and head straight for the visa booth

As of October 1, 2024, all visitors to Zanzibar (excluding residents) must apply for mandatory Inbound Travel Insurance.
This insurance must be purchased from Zanzibar Insurance Corporation and is in addition to any travel insurance already obtained from a home country.
The following policies are available for application:

• Individuals: Allows up to 2 visitors on the policy.
• Family: Allows 3 – 9 visitors on the policy.
• Group: Allows 10+ visitors on the policy.

How much it will cost:

Each policy setup includes charges, which can be paid using a debit or credit card at the end of the application.

• Adults: USD 44 per visitor, inclusive of all charges
• Children aged 3-17 years of age receive a 50% discount
• Infants aged 0-2 are free of charge

Per the government notice, travelers arriving without a valid ZIC travel insurance risk being refused entry into Zanzibar at the immigration checkpoints.

Click here to apply online: https://visitzanzibar.go.tz/insurance

If you need further answers click here for FAQ’s

What you will need:

You will need the following information for each visitor to be included on the insurance policy.

• Name and personal details.
• Passport information.
• Photograph of the biodata page of your passport (pdf, jpeg, jpg, png) – no larger than 5MB.
• Arrival and departure dates.

Step 1: Complete traveller details (Nationality, date of birth, etc)
Step 2: Passport details. Image dimensions should not exceed 1920 x 1080 pixels. (This is very important and often the reason your image may not be accepted)
Step 3: Your travel dates within Zanzibar
Step 4: Select insurance type: Individual (for 1-2 travellers); Family (3-9 travellers); Group (10 or more)
Step 5: Add all travellers’ details (if you are travelling on your own, untick the box ‘travelling in a group’
Step 6: Check all details are correct – scroll down to add the security code (the code only appears once you have clicked in the grey block), then tick ‘I AGREE’
Step 7: Payment page

Zambia has Three categories of visas:

• Category A: Citizens of select countries do not need a visa to enter Zambia. No action is required, you will be granted easy entry at any border post. NB Zambia recently announced a new list of countries that do NOT need a visa to enter Zambia, including but not limited to Australia, the European Union, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States of America. Click here to view the full list.
• Category B: Consists of those countries whose nationals are issued visas at the port of entry on payment of visa fees. These visas are easiest to obtain on your arrival at the Airport or border post. We do not recommend pre-applying online for Category B.
• Category C: Consists of those countries whose nationals are required to obtain their visa before travelling to Zambia:

Kavango Zambezi Trans-Frontier Conservation Area (Kaza) Uni-Visa: The Uni-Visa is only available at select ports of entry:

Validity – the Kaza Uni-Visa will be valid for 30 days and act as a multiple entry visa as long as you remain in Zimbabwe and Zambia i.e. you can cross into Zimbabwe/Zambia as frequently as you like within the 30-day period. It also covers those who visit Botswana for day trips through the Kazangula Borders, however, it will not be valid if staying in Botswana overnight. In this case, you would need to purchase a new Visa.

Standard fee of US$50 (we recommend you bring cash)

This is only eligible for specific countries – please check with us. If you get the online KAZA visa from the Zambian e-visa website, your first port of entry will have to be a Zambian one. e-Services »

Types of Visas and Costs:

• Single Entry Visa—A Single Entry Visa allows the traveler to enter Zambia only once during its validity. Once you exit Zambia, the visa cannot be used again. It is valid for 90 days from the date of issue.
• Double Entry Visa–A Double Entry Visa allows the traveler to enter Zambia twice during the validity of the visa. Valid up to 90 days from the date of issue.

We recommend you bring cash for visas although there are credit card facilities at Harry Mwanga International Airport.
Single: USD 25
Double: USD 40

Zimbabwe has Three categories of visas:

• Category A: Citizens of select countries do not need a visa to enter Zimbabwe. No action is required, you will be granted easy entry at any border post. Click here to view the list »
• Category B: Consists of those countries whose nationals are issued visas at the port of entry on payment of visa fees. These visas are easiest to obtain on your arrival at the Airport or border post. We do not recommend pre-applying online for Category B. Click here to view the list »
• Category C: Consists of those countries whose nationals are required to obtain their visa before travelling to Zimbabwe. Click here to view the list »

Kavango Zambezi Trans-Frontier Conservation Area (Kaza) Uni-Visa: The Uni-Visa is only available at select ports of entry:

Validity – the Kaza Uni-Visa will be valid for 30 days and act as a multiple entry visa as long as you remain in Zimbabwe and Zambia i.e. you can cross into Zimbabwe/Zambia as frequently as you like within the 30-day period. It also covers those who visit Botswana for day trips through the Kazangula Borders, however, it will not be valid if staying in Botswana overnight. In this case, you would need to purchase a new Visa.

Standard fee of USD50 (we recommend you bring cash).

This is only eligible for specific countries –If you get the online KAZA visa from the Zimbabwe e-visa website, your first port of entry will have to be a Zimbabwean one.  www.evisa.gov.zw

Types of Visas and Costs:

• Single Entry Visa – A Single Entry Visa allows the traveler to enter Zimbabwe only once during the validity of the visa. Once you exit Zimbabwe, the visa cannot be used again.
• Double Entry Visa – A Double Entry Visa allows the traveler to enter Zimbabwe twice during the validity of the visa. Valid up to 90 days from the date of issue.
• NB Multiple entry visas cannot be obtained at the port of entry.

We recommend you bring cash for visas:
Single: USD 30
Double: USD 45

British & Irish:
Single: USD 55
Double: USD 70

Canadian Citizens:
Single: USD 75