Border Crossings - Visa (Neighboring Countries ZA)

Travelers regularly combine their South Africa holiday with a visit to one of the neighboring countries. Crossing the border in Africa is a little less flexible than in Europe and purchasing a visa can take a long time. As long as you have a good dose of patience, that African bureaucracy also has its charm. On this page you will find information about whether or not you need a visa to visit other countries in Southern Africa. Read more information about a visa for South Africa here.

Visa Swaziland

You need a visa for Swaziland, which you get for free at the border. Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months upon arrival.

Visa Lesotho

You do not need a visa for Lesotho. Your passport must be valid for at least another 6 months upon arrival.

Visa Botswana

At the border you will receive a free visa that is valid for one month. Extension to three months is possible.

From October 2016, stricter rules also apply in Botswana for traveling with children under the age of 18. Children must have their own passport and, just like when entering South Africa, an original birth certificate (or a certified copy) must also be shown here. The following applies to single parents or a parent traveling alone with his or her child (ren):

– letter from the absent parent (not older than 3 months), in which permission is given for traveling with the children
– letter from a court in which the traveling parent is given full responsibility for the child (s) (this is also necessary in the case of a guardian)
– if 1 of the parents has died, a death certificate is requested.

All documents that are not written in English must have a certified translation.

For all tourists entering Botswana, a Tourism Development Levy of US $ 30 per person applies. You must pay this tax with your bank card, credit card or cash (in US Dollars) when you cross the border or arrive at the airport in Botswana. You will receive a proof of payment and you must keep this proof, you may later be asked to show this proof (valid for 30 days).

Visa Namibie

If you are traveling to Namibia as a tourist, you do not need to apply for a visa in advance. At the border you will receive a visa (stamp) in your passport, which gives you the opportunity to stay in Namibia for 3 months as a tourist. When you enter Namibia, your passport must be valid for at least 6 months and there must be at least 1 blank page for the stamps. You must be able to show documentation of your return flight (eg booking confirmation) and documentation of your next destination (eg hotel reservation). These documents are not always requested, but customs officers may ask for them.

Children under the age of 18 must be able to show an original or certified birth certificate. Parents who travel with children of whom they are not biological parents must bring a statement (affidavit) in which the biological parents or legal guardian / legal guardian give permission for the trip. When a child is traveling with only one of the parents, it must also be possible to show a letter of consent from the other parent. In the case of a deceased parent, you must take the death certificate with you.

If you are driving a (rental) car or motorhome with a non-Namibian license plate (for example a rental car from South Africa), you must pay for your car when you enter Namibia. For a normal car, 4×4, pick-up (‘bakkie’) and small vans you pay +/- 300 Namibian Dollars. For motorbikes, caravans and small trailers the costs are +/- 180 N $ (ask us about current prices).

Visa Mozambique

Dutch and Belgians must be in possession of a visa to be able to visit Mozambique. It is possible to purchase a visa for USD 50 per person upon arrival in Mozambique, but this can be a very time-consuming task and we therefore recommend that you arrange your visa before departure. You must also be able to show official proof of residence for your entire vacation in Mozambique from July 2019 to obtain a visa (letter / letters from your accommodations). For further information about obtaining visas and applying for a visa, please contact the Mozambique embassy in Brussels (Tel: +32 (0) 2 736 25 64 or +32 (0) 2 736 00 96). Check the website of the Embassy of Mozambique for more information and to download the application form (click here to go directly to the website). If you need help with applying for your visa, you can contact the Visa service.

Our clients generally arrange their visa for Mozambique as follows:
Send your passport via DHL or another secure and traceable shipping method. In addition to your passport, also include the completed visa application form, passport photos and the booking confirmation on which all entry and exit dates are listed per border crossing. Also add € 10 in the envelope to compensate for the return. Even if you travel via country to Mozambique (from South Africa for example), it is still a good idea to add a copy of your airline tickets to be sure. If you are flying directly to Mozambique, a copy of airline tickets is required.
Also add a printed ‘screensho’t’ in the envelope as proof that you have paid the costs of applying for the visa (+/- 42 Euro per passport).

Use the following address details:

Embassy of Mozambique
Boulevard Saint-Michel 97
1040 Brussels
Belgium

From 1 September 2007, entry to Mozambique will be checked for Gelekoort vaccination. For the time being this applies to visitors coming in through high-risk countries (Tanzania, Kenya, Angola, DR Congo, etc.). For other destinations such as flights directly from Europe, it is currently unclear whether the Gelekoort vaccination will also be made compulsory. If you come from a high-risk country and cannot provide proof of vaccination, you will be refused entry unless you are still vaccinated at the border. You are advised to have yourself vaccinated against yellow fever prior to the trip to Mozambique and to take the certificate with you.

Note: To be allowed to cross the border of Mozambique with a rental car you must be in possession of a ‘third party all risk’ insurance. This insurance cannot be taken out through us or the car supplier, but can only be taken out at the border of Mozambique. The costs are around the R150 / R250.
This is entirely independent of the standard insurance from your car or motorhome supplier or any additional insurance to buy off or insure this deductible.

It is compulsory to get Third party vehicle insurance which is obtainable from PNL at Giriyondo and Massingir gate. There are no facilities for buying 3rd party insurance at the new Limpopo border post.
All vehicles (including trailers) have to have compulsory Mozambican 3rd Party Insurance in accordance with Article 157 of the Mozambican Road Law. “Motor vehicles and their trailers, on terms to be set out in regulations, may only travel on a public roadway if they have obtained, in terms of special legislation, third party liability insurance.”

Visa Zambia

Dutch travelers need a visa to visit Zambia. This must be arranged in advance.

Since October 2015, the authorities of Zambia have been offering a new way to apply for a visa: e-visas. Before you travel, you can apply for your visa electronically and pay the amount due for your visa upon arrival in Zambia (US $ 50 pp for a single entry visa).

Before you leave, apply for your visa online via the Zambia immigration service and send the required information electronically. With a successful application you will receive a link from which you can print your e-visa (or print it from the website). It may take a few days for your application to be processed, but normally no more than 5 business days. You will take your printed e-visa with you on your journey. At the border you show your printed e-visa and pay the amount for your visa.

Do you want to apply for your Zambia visa electronically? Click here.

If you visit both Zambia and Zimbabwe, buy a UNIVISA at the border. This visa is valid for 30 days and you can cross the border between these two countries as many times as you wish. Costs are USD 50 per person and this is cheaper than the two separate visas. The Univisa sticker will be placed in your passport after payment, so make sure you have enough blank pages.

Visa Zimbabwe

You can buy a visa for Zimbabwe at the border for around US $ 50 (cash). This is valid for three months.

Please note that in Zimbabwe many things must be paid in cash (entrance fees, visas, etc.). From June 24, 2019, the government of Zimbabwe decided that only the Zimbabwe Dollar can be used to make purchases in Zimbabwe. Previously American Dollars and often South African Rands and Botswana Pula were accepted everywhere. However, from June 24, 2019, shops etc may only display prices in (the new) Zimbabwe Dollar. So you will have to change money when you want to make purchases in Zimbabwe. As far as is known, visas at the border posts still have to be paid in cash in US $. At the more luxurious lodges you can usually use your credit card to pay. It is currently still a very unclear situation with regard to this new monetary unit. If you have specific questions about the above, please contact us.

If you visit both Zimbabwe and Zambia, buy a UNIVISA at the border. This visa is valid for 30 days and you can cross the border between these two countries as many times as you wish. Costs are cheaper than the two separate visas (however, this multi-visas is not always available). The Univisa sticker will be placed in your passport after payment, so make sure you have enough blank pages.

Visa Malawi

From October 1, 2015, travelers from the Netherlands and Belgium, among others, need a visa to travel in Malawi. To obtain a visa you must contact the nearest Malawi Diplomatic Mission. Currently, visas are issued upon entry to travelers who do not yet have a visa. For this you must bring: a passport that is still valid for at least 6 months, 2 passport photos, return flight ticket, hotel booking or address where you are going to stay, insurance documents (including health insurance valid abroad), recent bank statements (from the past 3 months) ). You pay for your visa in US Dollars.

Please note that you must officially obtain a visa for Malawi prior to your trip. Click here for more information.

We give you this information as a South Africa Specialist purely as an indication. We are not a visa service and cannot be held responsible for denied admission. For the most up-to-date information on visas and border crossing, we kindly refer you to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Visa Service.

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