Unearth Botswana Plan my journey
Know before you go

Everything to know before Botswana.

Visas for your passport, entry rules, children's documents, Victoria Falls, health and packing, kept current by our team in Maun.

Visa for Botswana

  • Most visitors from Europe, North America, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and southern Africa do not need a visa for stays of up to 90 days.
  • Travellers from countries including India, China and Nigeria apply for an e-visa at evisa.gov.bw before travelling. There are no tourist visas on arrival.

Entering Botswana

  • Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after you leave Botswana, with at least 2 blank pages (3 if you visit Victoria Falls).
  • Visitors from outside the SADC region pay a Tourism Development Levy of US$30 per person on arrival, by card or in US dollars.
  • Keep a copy of your Unearth itinerary handy: immigration may ask where you are staying.

Victoria Falls

  • Victoria Falls is in Zimbabwe and Zambia, about an hour from Kasane.
  • Zimbabwe charges a visa fee at the border for most visitors. The KAZA UniVisa (about US$50) covers both Zimbabwe and Zambia for 30 days, including day trips back into Botswana, where it is available.
  • Take your passport on the day trip and keep some US dollars in cash for border fees.

Health

  • Northern Botswana (Okavango, Moremi, Chobe) is a malaria area, especially from November to April. Ask your doctor about anti-malaria tablets well before you travel, and pack insect repellent.
  • If you are arriving from, or have recently passed through, a country with yellow fever risk, carry your yellow fever certificate.
  • Travel insurance that includes medical evacuation is essential for remote camps. Your lodge and Unearth can help in an emergency, 24 hours a day.

Money, luggage and packing

  • The currency is the Botswana Pula (BWP). Lodges accept cards; US dollars are useful for tips and border fees.
  • Light-aircraft transfers allow 20 kg per person in soft bags with no wheels or frames, including hand luggage.
  • Pack neutral colours, warm layers for early drives (June to August mornings are cold), a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.
  • Plugs are type D and M (round pins) and type G (UK square pins). Bring an adapter.

Reviewed October 2026. Entry rules can change at short notice: your Unearth specialist confirms everything for your trip before you travel.

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