Visa Info
Contains the requirements of Southern African
Countries - South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Swaziland. Although
these are correct at the time of publishing, please check with the necessary
authorities, as such details are liable to change. For a UK settlement
visa click here
In general the closer to the country you are,
the less the visa costs.
Cost of Visas from Pretoria
Ethiopia R380 24 hours
Kenya R400 24 hours
Tanz US$50 at the border
South Africa
When entering south africa, please make sure
you get the max time allowed. Even if you plan to only stay 1 month ask
for the maximum. By law you should get a minimum of 3 months. But note
if you have an existing SA visa and there is time left(even 1 day) you
will not get a renewal. I can tell you stories you won't believe. The
bottom line is do whatever it takes to get at least 3 months.
Scream, shout, insist on seeing the supervisor,
ask them to phone your embassy. Custom officials are not trained in customer
relations and sometimes cannot even count. They don't realize that tourism
can actually create jobs. Officials at the airports and Botswana borders
are good. At Swaziland they are hard as nails and will only give you 2
weeks.
Although you are supposed to have an outgoing
flight it is not really neccessary as many travellers go on to Vic Falls
or Nairobi. Every now and then you get a hard assed official that abuses
his position and gives some foreigner hell. Don't take it. Ask for his
superior. Ask for your embassy. Ask for a laywer. Throw the SA constitution
at them. Sue the sobs...or at least threaten to. You might mention the
equity court. You ARE supposed to have an outgoing ticket - otherwise you
have to lodge about R5000 with customs which you get on exit. Except that
you don't want rand on exit..so you get a cheque. Brilliant. It is so easy
bypassing the system it is not even a joke. Travellers regularly buy flights
to Swaziland or Maputo and cash them in later. The cheapest would be a
bus ticket to Maputo. There is a Translux Bus office at the airport. tell
the custom official to go buy it for you!!
In general though the custom guys at the airports
are nice, the queues are just too long. There is absolutely nothing as
welcoming as when arriving at an airport after a long flight to stand in
a queue for an hour.
PASSPORTS:Valid passport required by all.
The passport must be valid for at least six months
beyond the date of departure from South Africa.
VISAS:Required by all except:
(a) nationals of Britain, Australia, Canada,
the USA, Japan and EU countries;
(b) nationals of Andorra, Argentina, Bahrain,
Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Chile, Cape Verde, Iceland, Israel, Lesotho,
Liechtenstein, Monaco, Namibia, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Singapore,
Swaziland, Switzerland and Uruguay for business, tourist or transit purposes;
(c) nationals of Costa Rica, Ecuador and St Helena
for business, tourist or transit purposes of up to 90 days;
(d) nationals of all other South and Central
American countries (except nationals of Colombia), Barbados, Belize,
Benin, Comoro Islands, Czech Republic, Ivory Coast, Congo, Cyprus, Egypt,
El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Gabon, Hong
Kong, Hungary, Jordan, South Korea, Kuwait, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia,
Mali, Malta, Morocco, Mauritius, Mexico, Nicaragua, Oman, Panama, Peru,
Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Slovak Republic, Surinam,
Taiwan (China), Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela
and Zambia for business, tourist or transit purposes of up to 30 days.
NOTE: Holders of Visitors' visas are not allowed to take up employment in South Africa.
Swaziland
PASSPORTS: Valid passport required by all.
VISAS:Required by all except:
(a) nationals of UK, USA, Canada, Australia and
Japan;
(b) nationals of EU countries may obtain a visa
free of charge on arrival;
(c) nationals of Switzerland may obtain a visa
free of charge on arrival;
(d) nationals of Bahamas, Barbados, Botswana,
Cyprus, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Iceland, Israel, Jamaica,
Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, Norway,
Papua New Guinea, San Marino, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon
Islands, Sweden, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Uganda, Uruguay,
Western Samoa, Zambia and Zimbabwe (including holders of an unexpired Rhodesian
passport).
Visitors from countries which need to obtain
a visa prior to departure for Swaziland from South Africa:
- Eastern European Countries:Albania,
Belorussia, Bosnia - Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Estonia,
Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldavia, Romania, Russia, Slovak Republic,
Slovenia, Ukraine, Yugoslavia.
- South -, Central America and the Caribbean
Islands: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Belize, Colombia, Chile, Costa
Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guiana,
Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico,
Surinam, Uruguay, Venezuela.
HEATH REQUIREMENTS:Vaccinations against Yellow Fever is required if arriving within 6 days from or via an infected area. Precautionary measure should be taken against Malaria and immunization against Cholera, Typhoid and Polio. Other risks are Rabies and, in rivers and dams, Bilharzia.
LANGUAGES: Siswati and English are the official languages while English is the medium that is widely understood.
NOTE: A return ticket is recommended, although not essential.
VISITORS WISHING TO REMAIN IN SWAZILAND FOR LONGER THAN 60 DAYS MUST: Apply for a temporary residence permit from the Chief Immigration Officer in Mbabane. Visitors who need a visa to enter South Africa, should ensure that they have a multiple entry visa before leaving South Africa to enter Swaziland.
COSTS FOR ALL OTHER NATIONALS NEEDING VISAS: R 40.00 (SINGLE ENTRY), R 80.00 (MULTIPLE ENTRY VALID 3 MTHS), R 120.00 (MULTIPLE ENTRY VALID FOR 6 MTHS), R190.00 (MULTIPLE ENTRY VALID FOR 9 MTHS), R 260.00 (MULTIPLE ENTRY VALID FOR 12 MTHS).
Zimbabwe
PASSPORTS: Passport, valid at least six months from date of entry, required by all.
VISAS: The following nationals require visas
prior to departure from South Africa:Please
note that the Zim officials will not issue a visa on the border if your
country is on this list!
Visas are issued at the Consulate in Jo'burg
and takes 8 working days. The easiest is to courier the application both
ways.
GROUP A: ( These nationals need to obtain
their visas from embassies or consulates only.) Afghanistan, Albania,
Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus,
Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi,
Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde Islands, Central African Republic, Chad
Chile, Peoples Republic of China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo Brazzaville,
Costa Rica, Cote de Ivore, Croatia, Cuba , Czech Republic, Djibouti, Democratic
Republic of Congo, Equador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea,
Estonia. Ethiopia, Eyrom, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Gibraltar, Guatemala,
Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry, Haiti, Honduras, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan,
Kazakhstan, Korea (Dork), Kyrgystan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya,
Lithuania, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco,
Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman,
Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peu, Philippines, Quater, Romania, Russian
Federation, Rwanda, Samoa (American), San Marino, Sao Tome & Principe,
Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Somalia,
Sri Lanka, Sudan, Surinam, Syria, Taiwan, Taaijistan, thailand, Togo, Tunisia,
Turkey, Turnevenstan, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam,
Yemen Republic, Yugoslavia Federation.
++25423746546 Zimbabwe Embassy Nairobi - visa takes 7 - 14 working
days
GROUP B: These nationals need to have a visa but can be purchased on the Beitbridge border: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Cook Islands, Denmark, Dominica, Dominica Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Portugal, Seychelles, Spain, State of Palestine, Switzerland, USA, United Arab Emirates, Vatican.
Cost of Visa: Please note that you can only use Rands or US$ at the border post. The visas for group A and B nationals US$30 for single entry and and US$45 for multiple entry. We recommend you purchase a multiple entry visa if you are planning to visit Zambia and then returning to Zimbabwe. If doing a day visit/activity from Zim to Zambia you do not need a multiple entry visa - if you sleep 1 night outside Zim you do. Doing a Zambia activity will get you a Zambia visa waiver.
GROUP C: The following nationals require no visa : Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Botswana, Canada, Fiji, Granada, Guyana, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Namibia, Nauru, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, Sr. Vincent & the Grenadines, Swaziland, Sweden, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, UK, Vanuatu, Wales, Western Samoa, Zambia.
NOTE: Nationals of other countries may
obtain visas on arrival in Zimbabwe, apart from those
specified below: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria,
Angola, Andorra, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cambodia, Cape
Verde, China, CIS, Cuba, Czech Republic, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary,
India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Mongolia, Mozambique,
Meaner, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Philippines, Portugal, Poland,
Romania, Senegal, Slovak Republic, Somalia, former Soviet Republics, Sri
Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tibet, Thailand, Vietnam, Yemen, Yugoslavia (Serbia
and Montenegro) and Zaire; and stateless persons.
TYPES OF VISA: Single, Double and Multiple-entry.
Cost: Single: US$ 30;
Double: US$ 40;
Multiple:
US$ 50. UK US$55
Namibia
All travellers need a passport to enter Namibia, along with a return/outgoing ticket and 2 passport photos. However, the following nationalities do not require a Visa - British, US, Canadian, Australian, Japanese, all EU citizens except Greeks, who require a Visa, Angola, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, CIS, Cuba, Iceland, Japan, Kenya, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Mozambique, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Africa, Swaziland, Switzerland, Tanzania, USA, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Such nationals visiting without a visa are allowed to stay for up to 3 months.
VISAS are extendable by application at
the Ministry of Home Affairs in Windhoek. Types of visa:
Tourist, Business and Transit. Cost: Single=£10;
Multiple=£12;
Transit=N$20.
PASSPORTS must be valid for a period of six months after your departure from Namibia.
Mozambique
You can get a visa on the border now but at a
higher cost - about R170 - 190. All nationalities need one now, even SA's.
In Pretoria (9am - 12 am)you must pay the application
at the bank 1st:
R85 for a 30 day single entry(same day), R75
next day:
Acc holder: Mozambique High Commission
Branch: Pretoria: 252145
Acc no: 6151 501 7419
So pay & hand the deposit slip in with your
application. Collection 3 pm.
If you are even thinking of going during school
holidays get your application in before otherwise be willing to queue till
9pm when collecting.
Botswana
27/09/2000 - Visas not required by France.
Madagascar
28/10/2004 You can get the visa at the airport
now, previously you were turned back.
Cost US$16, though US$70 in the USA, personal
communication
Uruguay
Need visas for Tanzania, Namibia, Malawi. Zimbabwe
"In Paris the visas were supposed to take 3,
5 or 7 days (phone information), and when I went to the corresponding embassies I had each one of them in 20 minutes. Even in the Tanzanian embassy, they
issued my visa although I got there after the time for issuing visas was
finished, and on a Friday afternoon.... "
However Zimbabwe visas take 8 working days and
there is no Embassy in Paris
Uruguayans do not need visas for Kenya, Botswana
and South Africa.
1. Australian Visas
We need one photo for the Aussies and not two.
Please remember the requirement for a full, unabridged birth certificate
for children under 18, regardless of whether or not the parents are travelling
with them.
The Australian High Commission have done away
with the same day visa facility with effect from 18 April 2005.
2. Angolan Business Visas
Please make sure that the passenger's passport number and dates of issue and expiry appear on both the SA company letter and the invitation from Angola. Please keep in mind that visas can take up to 14 working days to be issued.
3. Slovak Republic
South African Passport holders will require visas to enter the Slovak Republic regardless of purpose of stay. This comes into effect at midnight on the 30 September 2003. We are permitted to apply on behalf of all passengers travelling to the Slovak Republic except those who reside in Gauteng and who will be visiting as tourists. The latter passengers must apply in person at the Embassy in Pretoria. We will be sending out the new forms and requirements, updating Screen-Screen. Non-South African passport holders must apply in person. Transit visas are required at all times
4. Canadian Visas
Please ensure that passengers complete the application form correctly, specifically spouse and children's details, even if they are not travelling. Passengers travelling for business purposes must state in the business letter the exact nature of the business being done in Canada and as many details regarding the trip as possible. The South African business letter must specify the connection between the SA and Canadian companies.
5. Hungarian Visas
All foreign passport holders requiring a visa for Hungary must have a valid USA, Canadian or Schengen visa before a Hungarian visa can be processed in their passports.
6. Italian Visas.
Minors under the age of 21 travelling with or without their parents must have a full, unabridged birth certificate
7. Ethiopian Visas.
The original air ticket must accompany all transit visa applications.
8. Original tickets
Please remember that we do not require original
tickets for certain applications and we request that these not be sent
to us in such cases. Examples are Namibia, Mozambique, Japan, USA, Canada,
Ghana, Australia, etc.