Entry/Exit Requirements

A passport with at least six months of validity remaining is required. U.S. citizens are permitted stays up to 90 days total within a 12-month period without a visa. Travelers who attempt to enter Botswana with a temporary travel document (for example, a 12-page emergency passport) must have a visa to enter. It is not possible to obtain a visa upon arrival in Botswana, and U.S. citizens without a visa in a temporary passport will face possible fines and long administrative delays.

For additional information on entry requirements, travelers may contact the Embassy of the Republic of Botswana, 1531-1533 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20036, telephone (202) 244-4990/1, fax (202) 244-4164 or the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Botswana to the United Nations, 103 E. 37th St., New York, N.Y., 10016, telephone (212) 889-2277, and fax (212) 725-5061. There are also honorary consuls in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Houston. Visit the Embassy of Botswana’s web site for the most current visa information. As a general precaution, all travelers are advised to carry a photocopy of the photo/bio information page of their passport and keep it in a location separate from the passport.

Attention: New South Africa regulations

Travelers who also intend to visit or transfer through South Africa should pay careful attention to the new and additional travel requirements for that country. Please see Country Specific Information for South Africa regarding the requirements for at least two blank (unstamped) visa pages and carrying unabridged birth certificates for all children under the age of 18. As of June 1, 2015, South Africa is enforcing strict requirements for children, requiring them to carry unabridged birth certificates and parental consent forms from parents not accompanying the child.

The U.S. Department of State is unaware of any HIV/AIDS entry restrictions for visitors to or foreign residents of Botswana.

Botswana continues to impose restrictions on travelers from Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) affected countries. Travelers whose passports show entry into Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone within the past 21 days may be denied entry or isolated and requested to undergo a health examination.

The Embassy is unaware of any required vaccinations to enter Botswana. Visitors to the Chobe National Park and Victoria Falls areas should be aware that Zambia is now considered a low-risk yellow fever country. Travelers with Zambian immigration stamps in their passport may be required to present their current and valid “International Certificate of Vaccination as approved by the World Health Organization (WHO)” (commonly called a “yellow card”) or statement of medical exemption (also located on the same yellow card).

This requirement is also imposed on travelers flying through South Africa via yellow fever countries, even when transiting passengers are required to stay on board the plane (e.g., flights stopping in Dakar, Senegal; Accra, Ghana; or Nairobi, Kenya), or if the plane makes an unscheduled landing in a yellow fever country. As a precaution, all travelers to or through South Africa should carry their original yellow card. Letters, scans, copies, or faxes regarding prior yellow fever vaccination will not be accepted. While this requirement may not be consistently applied, travelers who cannot present an original and currently valid yellow card upon request may be refused entry into or transit through South Africa.

Yellow fever vaccinations are not administered at South African ports of entry for the purpose of entry into South Africa. Travelers are reminded that they are required to obtain a yellow fever vaccination at least 10 days prior to their arrival in South Africa in accordance with WHO regulations.

Information about dual nationality or the prevention of international child abduction can be found on our website. For further information about customs regulations, please read our Customs Information page.