Uyaphi.com
African Safaris and Tours
Botswana Visa Requirements
PLEASE NOTE THAT CHANGES ARE MADE ALMOST ON A DAILY BASIS, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR NEAREST BOTSWANA EMBASSY FOR MORE ACCURATE VISA POSTING AND UPDATES
Getting into Botswana is simple for many safari travellers, and visa-free for holders of a full British citizen passport. If your nationality needs a visa, allow time for the application before you fly. Entry rules are set and enforced by Botswana's own authorities and can change at short notice, so check them against the official sources below when you book and again before you travel. Uyaphi Safaris cannot be held responsible for changes in government policy.
Every visitor needs:
- A passport valid for at least six months after the date you arrive, with at least three blank pages
- A return or onward ticket
- For each child aged 17 or under, an original or certified copy of the full birth certificate, plus a consent affidavit from any parent who is not travelling
- A yellow fever vaccination certificate for every traveller aged one or over whose route comes from, or through, a country with a risk of yellow fever transmission
Nationals of countries on Botswana's visa-required list can apply online through the government e-visa portal, or in person at a Botswana embassy, consulate or immigration office. Processing takes seven to fourteen working days. The portal links to the list of nationalities that need a visa. Cash in foreign or local currency worth P10,000 or more must be declared on arrival.
For the latest position, see the UK government's Botswana entry requirements, Botswana's visitor's visa page and TravelHealthPro. For airports and border posts, see getting to Botswana.
Checked against official guidance on 14 October 2026.
Botswana Visa and Entry FAQs
Do I need a visa to visit Botswana?
It depends on your passport. Holders of a full British citizen passport can visit Botswana for up to 90 days without a visa, according to UK government travel advice, and other nationalities are also exempt. If your country is on Botswana's visa-required list, apply online or at a Botswana embassy, consulate or immigration office before you travel.
How do I apply for a Botswana visa?
Apply online at evisa.gov.bw, or in person at a Botswana embassy, consulate or immigration office. Allow seven to fourteen working days. Online applicants download the approval or rejection letter from the portal. If the visa itself has not been printed, travel with the approval letter and the visa is printed at the port of entry.
How long must my passport be valid for Botswana?
Your passport must be valid for at least six months after the date you arrive in Botswana and have at least three blank pages. Make sure the immigration officer stamps it on entry. The stamp records your date and port of entry, and an unstamped passport raises suspicion of illegal entry.
What documents do children need to enter Botswana?
Every child aged 17 or under needs an original or certified copy of their full birth certificate, both entering and leaving Botswana. If a parent is not travelling, that parent must sign an affidavit consenting to the trip. Keep these documents with the child's passport for every border crossing on your safari.
Do I need a yellow fever certificate for Botswana?
Only if your route brings you from, or through, a country with a risk of yellow fever transmission. In that case Botswana requires a vaccination certificate from every traveller aged one or over. Botswana itself has no yellow fever risk, so a direct route from a non-risk country needs no certificate. TravelHealthPro keeps the current list of risk countries.
Does the KAZA UniVisa cover Botswana?
Only for day trips. The KAZA UniVisa costs US$50, is valid for 30 days and covers Zambia and Zimbabwe. For nationalities eligible to hold it, day trips into Botswana are included, such as a Chobe outing from Victoria Falls via Kazungula. For any overnight stay in Botswana, Botswana's own entry rules apply.
Can I stay in Botswana for longer than 90 days?
Only with permission. To extend a visit, contact Botswana's Department of Immigration before your permitted stay runs out, because overstaying can delay your departure. If you plan to work, study or volunteer in Botswana, you need a separate business, study or employment visa rather than visitor entry.
Map of Lodges in and around Botswana
Botswana Travel Topics
10 Reasons To Visit Botswana
Ten reasons, from the Okavango's flood and Chobe's elephant herds to the Makgadikgadi salt pans, Kalahari lions and San trackers, wild dogs in the Linyanti, mokoro trips, and a low-volume tourism policy that keeps vehicle numbers down.
Best Botswana Safari Lodges
Our pick of Botswana's safari lodges, region by region: Mombo and Xigera in the Delta, Chobe Game Lodge on the river, Jack's Camp on the pans and Savute Elephant Lodge, plus how to choose between them.
Botswana Chobe National Park
A practical guide to Chobe: getting there from Kasane, river cruises versus game drives, where the elephants come down to drink, the lodges we use, and how to add Victoria Falls on the way in or out.
The Perfect Okavango Delta Honeymoon Safari
Planning a honeymoon in the Okavango Delta: the camps that suit couples, from Camp Okavango to Mombo, with sunrise boat cruises, mokoro trips, and private dinners and helicopter flights where the camp offers them.
10 Reasons To Visit The Savuti
Ten reasons to put Savuti on your route: bull elephants, big lion prides, wild dogs, the Savuti Marsh, San rock art in the Gubatsa Hills, and a channel with a habit of drying up for years at a time.
5 Best Lodges In The Chobe National Park
Five lodges in and around Chobe National Park that we would happily send you to: Chobe Game Lodge with its all-female guiding team, Ngoma, Muchenje, Chobe Chilwero, and &Beyond Chobe Under Canvas, which moves camp to follow the game.
How Much Does It Cost to Go on a Safari in Botswana?
What a Botswana safari actually costs, and why: camping versus mobile versus lodge, the season you travel, flights between camps, park fees and tips, and where a few honest savings can be made.
10 Best Lodges In Okavango Delta
Ten Okavango Delta camps we rate, from Eagle Island and Xigera to Jao, Jacana and Duba Plains, with what each does best, from mokoro trips on the water to family suites and walking safaris.