Local Laws

CRIMINAL PENALTIES: While you are traveling in Zambia you are subject to its laws. Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different from our own. Persons violating Zambian laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned. Penalties for possessing, using, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Zambia are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines.

In Zambia you may be taken in for questioning if you don’t have your passport with you or if you take pictures of certain buildings including certain government structures, particularly presidential residences or offices, oil refineries, bridges, mines, railways, electrical power supply buildings, and military facilities. Often, these sites are not clearly marked, and the first notification that a tourist would receive is a police officer demanding his/her camera memory card, film and/or camera. Authorities may also challenge photography of areas other than tourist attractions.

In Zambia driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs can land you immediately in jail. If you break local laws in Zambia, your U.S. passport won’t help you avoid arrest or prosecution.

There are also some things that might be legal in the country you visit, but still illegal in the United States. You can be prosecuted in the United States for engaging in sexual conduct with children or for using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country regardless of the legality of these activities under that country’s laws. Counterfeit and pirated goods are illegal in the United States and if you purchase them in a foreign country, you may be breaking local law as well.

Arrest notifications in host country: While some countries will automatically notify the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate if a U.S. citizen is detained or arrested in that country, others may not. To ensure that the United States is aware of your circumstances, request that the police and prison officials notify the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate as soon as you are arrested or detained overseas.

Possession of more than 0.5 grams of an illegal substance can constitute drug trafficking in Zambia. The Zambian Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) has detained U.S. citizens for possession of antihistamines such as Benadryl and other over-the-counter medications, which contained small quantities of diphenhydramine, an active ingredient that is on Zambia’s list of controlled substances. Although unaware of these restrictions, U.S. citizens have been charged with drug-trafficking offenses, had their passports confiscated, and have been jailed. While government officials have told the Embassy that carrying such over-the-counter medications with a doctor’s prescription is permitted, U.S. citizens visiting Zambia should consider leaving such medications behind. When traveling with prescription medications, U.S. citizens should likewise carry a doctor’s prescription and ensure that the medication is in its original bottle. A complete list of controlled substances banned in Zambia is available via the U.S. Embassy website on the web page Living in Zambia. U.S. citizens carrying any of these banned drugs for medical purposes should contact the Government of Zambia’s Pharmaceutical Authority to request advance permission to bring the drugs into the country by emailing the Director General at pharmacy@pra.gov.zm or writing to: Director General Pharmaceutical Regulatory Authority, Box 31890 Lusaka. The office is located at Plot No 6903 Tuleteka Road, off Makish Road. Any U.S. citizen stopped by the Drug Enforcement Commission for possession of over-the-counter medications should contact the Embassy as soon as possible. Additional information about controlled substances may be found at the Zambian Drug Enforcement Commission website.

It is against both Zambian and U.S. law to buy, possess, or transport the following animal products: tortoise shells, rhino horns, elephant ivory, tusks of any animal, or any items made out of these materials. While many of these items are sold in open markets particularly aimed at foreign tourists, it remains the responsibility of the customer to ensure that he/she is not purchasing a prohibited item. The Zambian Wildlife Authority has screeners at international ports of entry/exit and will prosecute offenders to the fullest extent of the law with penalties ranging from large fines to five year prison sentences.

If you are arrested in Zambia, you should seek the assistance of an attorney. The Embassy maintains a list of attorneys in major cities, but cannot recommend the services of a particular lawyer.

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES: The U.S. Embassy advises companies and foreign investors to contact their financial service providers for information on how to comply with Zambian regulations.

You should carry a copy of your U.S. passport with you at all times so that, if questioned by local officials, you can provide proof of your identity and U.S. citizenship. Foreign tourists have frequently been the target of small-scale financial scams involving bogus “fees” to be paid to various Zambian officials and groups. You should make sure that you receive an official receipt from the Zambian government for any fines and duties you pay. Often, travelers will be told that the official does not have a receipt book or that this type of fine is not receipted. Polite but firm insistence on a Zambian government receipt will often result in these fines disappearing.

MasterCard and Visa cards are accepted at major supermarkets, restaurants, stores, and hotels in Lusaka and Livingstone (Victoria Falls), whereas other major credit cards often are not accepted. Credit card fraud exists in Zambia and there have been several cases involving fraudulent charges, including some at major hotels catering primarily to foreign visitors. Some businesses use carbonized paper documents to process payment. These documents are not secure and can pose a threat to cardholders. You should be cautious when using debit or credit cards at any point of purchase, especially if the transaction is not processed electronically. U.S. citizen travelers can withdraw money (in local currency) from ATMs in major cities in Zambia using their ATM cards or credit cards from the United States. Occasionally, banks lose their connections with the credit card exchanges, thus making withdrawals impossible. U.S. citizens have also been victims of ATM fraud, whereby criminals gain access to the U.S. citizen's pin number and make withdrawals. Zambian banks and bureau de change will not accept dollar-denominated notes issued before 2000 (i.e., those without the larger, off-center portraits). Travelers’ cheques are generally not accepted by banks in Zambia.

Service providers in Zambia, including the tourism sector, are not subject to the same standards of safety oversight that exist in the United States; visitors should evaluate risks carefully. Large numbers of travelers visit tourist destinations, including South Luangwa National Park and Livingstone (Victoria Falls) without incident. However, U.S. citizens are advised to avoid rafting and other whitewater boating activities on the Zambezi River below Victoria Falls during the high-water season, February through June. During periods of high water, the Batoka Gorge section of the river becomes unpredictable and several tourists have been involved in fatal accidents. Please observe local or park regulations and heed all instructions given by tour guides. Even in the most serene settings, wild animals can pose a threat to life and safety. In particular, the baboons on the trails near Victoria Falls can be aggressive with tourists, and in one case led to the death of a traveler who fell over the cliff.

WOMEN TRAVELER INFORMATION: If you are a woman traveling abroad, please review our travel tips for Women Travelers.

LGBTI RIGHTS: Consensual same-sex sexual relations are criminalized in Zambia, and the law provides penalties of 15 years to life imprisonment. A lesser charge of “gross indecency” carries penalties of up to 14 years imprisonment. Zambian authorities have arrested and prosecuted suspected LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex) persons for such activities. Although, in general, non-Zambians have not been targeted for LBGTI activities, the political and cultural environment is hostile towards LGBTI persons. For more detailed information about LGBTI rights in Zambia, you may review the State Department’s annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. For further information on LGBTI travel, please read our LGBTI Travel Information page.

ACCESSIBILTY: While in Zambia, individuals with disabilities may find accessibility and accommodation very different from what is available in the United States. In 2012, the Zambian government passed legislation (the Persons with Disability Act) to promote equal opportunities in the civil, political, economic, and social spheres for persons with disabilities and to incorporate disability issues into the national policy and developmental framework. As the law is new, implementation may take a long time. It is important to note that, although Zambia is a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; the Zambian government has not mandated accessibility to public buildings and services for persons with disabilities; public buildings, schools, and hospitals generally do not accommodate persons with disabilities.