Normally, holders of the following passports do not require a visa to enter South Africa when travelling as a tourist for stays up to 90 days: United Kingdom; United States of America; Canada; Australia; Ireland; Belgium; Netherlands; Italy; France; Germany; Spain, Switzerland.

If you are a passport holder from another country, please contact your local South Africa High Commission or Embassy for up-to-date visa requirements, as citizens of certain countries (including New Zealand) are required to obtain visas before travelling. Please note that if you are applying to the Embassy for your visa, some visas can take a long time to be processed so please do take this into consideration, as it is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct visa in place before you travel.

Children under 18 years of age who require a visa to enter South Africa may be required to provide additional information when applying for the visa including an unabridged birth certificate and affidavit if travelling with only one parent.  There are also additional rules for unaccompanied minors and/or South African children - details available on request or via the SA Department of Home Affairs at http://www.dha.gov.za.

Please note that anyone travelling to South Africa should have a valid return ticket and a valid passport. Your passport should be valid for a minimum period of 30 days from the date of exit from South Africa. However, some immigration officials still request that a passport should have at least 6 months validity from the date of entry to South Africa so to avoid problems on arrival, we advise that your passport meets this requirement instead. The passport must also have sufficient pages for entry/exit stamps - AT LEAST 2 BLANK PAGES.

South Africa has implemented biometric capturing at all ports of entry. This may result in some delays at land borders so you should allow additional time for border crossings.

You are advised to contact your doctor or clinic around 4-8 weeks before your trip to check whether you need any vaccinations and to get their professional medical advice regarding travel to South Africa.

To help avoid heatstroke, drink plenty of bottled water/fluids, and keep out of the midday sun.

Tap water is purified and safe to drink in major cities and towns, however, we do advise that you do not drink the water in more remote places such as the camps in the National Parks - the water may be safe to drink, but it simply is not worth the risk, as bottled water is widely available.

Whatever you do, do not drink water from any river lake without firstly purifying the water. Always take water with you when you go on a hike, and have a bottle in the car on a long journey to avoid dehydration.

There is a risk of malaria in and around the Kruger National Park/Mpumalanga Province, the Limpopo (Northern) Province, and the north-eastern part of KwaZulu-Natal - check with your doctor about suitable antimalarial tablets. Try to avoid mosquito bites wherever possible - wear loose long-sleeved clothing and trousers, and use a repellent on clothing and exposed skin.

There is no risk of yellow fever in South Africa, so a yellow fever vaccination is NOT required for travellers whose sole destination is South Africa. However, in accordance with International Health Reguations, South Africa requires all travellers over one year of age arriving from a yellow fever risk country, or having been in transit longer than 12 hours at the airport of such a country, to have a yellow fever certificate. These countries include Kenya and Uganda but it is up to the traveller to check the full list here https://nathnacyfzone.org.uk/factsheet/60/yellow-fever-maps

If you need emergency medical assistance during your trip, dial 10177 and ask for an ambulance.

The 11 official languages are Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, Pedi, English, Tswana, Sotho, Tsonga, Swati, Venda and Ndebele. Whilst many visitors will hear at least a couple of the tribal languages during the course of their stay, it is possible to travel extensively and comfortably with just English as a language.

The South African society is quite liberal, as gay marriage was legalised in 2006 nationwide and everyone’s rights are protected under the constitution. In some more rural areas, however, the local people may not be quite as liberal thinking, so whilst everyone is of course entitled to their own sexual preferences and gender identity, we would advise all clients of the LGBT+ community to refrain from public displays of affection (including kissing and holding hands) and to be as discrete as possible about their relationship if travelling to a rural/remote area.

As of 01 November 2022, passengers carrying passports from the UK, the USA, Canada, Australia or the European Union will no longer have to purchase visas in order to enter Zambia and can obtain a free visa on arrival. Please note this ruling may be subject to change at short notice.

If you are a passport holder from another country, please contact your local Zambia High Commission or Embassy for up-to-date visa requirements or check here:

https://www.zambiaimmigration.gov.zm/nationals-who-dont-require-visa/ 

https://www.zambiaimmigration.gov.zm/nationals-requiring-visa-prior-to-travel/

Visas can issued at any Zambia Embassy, online via https://evisa.zambiaimmigration.gov.zm/#/ or single or double entry visas can be obtained on arrival. You cannot get a multiple entry visa on arrival.

If you plan to get a visa on arrival, make sure you have the correct amount of cash (US dollars) with you as change may not be available. If you enter through Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka or the Harry Mwanga International Airport in Livingstone, you can now make payment for single and double entry visas via credit card at the Zambian Immigration desks.

Visa costs (subject to change) are as follows: Single Entry Visa USD 25 per person; Double Entry Visa USD 40 per person; Multiple Entry Visa USD 75 per person; Day Tripper Visa USD 10 per person (enter and exit through same port); Transit Visa USD 50 per person. 

For visitors wanting to travel across to Zimbabwe, the KAZA UniVisa is also an option (although unfortunately this is not always available). This visa allows tourists of certain nationalities to travel freely between Zambia and Zimbabwe, within a 30 day period from the date of their first entry.

This same visa will also allow those who cross into Botswana for a day trip to come back into Zambia (or Zimbabwe) without paying any extra visa fees - please note however it is not valid if staying in Botswana overnight.

The UniVisa can ONLY be obtained at SELECTED border posts - the international airports in Lusaka and Livingstone and at the land borders at Livingstone (Zimbabwe border) and Kazungula (Botswana border) - the current price is USD 50 per person (subject to change) and is valid for 30 days.

To check whether you are eligible for this visa, please visit https://www.zambiaimmigration.gov.zm/kaza-univisa/.

For everyone entering Zambia, your passport should be valid for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of entry and have at least 2 blank pages for entry/exit stamps.

You are advised to contact your doctor or clinic around 4-8 weeks before your trip to check whether you need any vaccinations and to get their professional medical advice regarding travel to Zambia.

To help prevent diarrhoea, avoid tap water – drink only bottled water and use bottled water for tooth brushing, and avoid ice made with tap water – and only eat fruit or vegetables that are cooked or can be peeled.

To help avoid heatstroke, drink plenty of bottled water/fluids, and keep out of the midday sun.

There is no risk of yellow fever in Zambia, so a yellow fever vaccination is NOT required for travellers whose sole destination is Zambia. However, in accordance with International Health Regulations, Zambia requires all travellers over one year of age arriving from a yellow fever risk country, or having been in transit longer than 12 hours at the airport of such a country, to have a yellow fever certificate. These countries include Kenya and Uganda but it is up to the traveller to check the full list here https://nathnacyfzone.org.uk/factsheet/60/yellow-fever-maps

There is a risk of malaria in all areas of Zambia - check with your doctor about suitable antimalarial tablets. Dengue fever can also be transmitted via mosquito bites. Try to avoid mosquito bites wherever possible - wear loose long-sleeved clothing and trousers, and use a repellent on clothing and exposed skin.

Tsetse flies are found throughout some of Zambia's National Parks, especially in the Luangwa Valley and Kafue National Park. There have been some cases of sleeping sickness occurring after a tsetse fly bite, although these are mainly amongst farmers and other locals who have repeated exposure to bites. However, the fly can still deliver a painful bite, so it is advisable to take necessary precautions - don't wear dark colours, especially black and blue (including denim), wear long-sleeved clothing and trousers, and don't walk through bushes during the hottest part of the day.

The official language of Zambia is English. Commonly-spoken indigenous languages number over 70 and include Lamba, Kaonde, Tumbuka, Ngoni, Ila,Senga, Chewa, Chibemba, Nsenga Chinyanja, Lunda, Chitonga, Kaonde, Silozi, Nkoya, and Luvale.

We would ask that all travellers are respectful of the local culture as follows:

Homosexuality is illegal in Zambia. Whilst everyone is of course entitled to their own sexual preferences and gender identity, we would advise all clients of the LGBT+ community to refrain from public displays of affection (including kissing and holding hands) and to be as discrete as possible about their relationship.

You should always ask permission before taking anyone’s photograph.

Avoid taking pictures of sensitive sites including power stations, explosives factories, pumping stations, army barracks, government buildings, river junctions, road and rail bridges, the Ndola Oil refinery, mining areas and airports. If in doubt, don’t take pictures.