Visas

The issue about Visa's is a tricky one, if you get them too early then you run the risk they will expire before you arrive so we decided not to get any visa's prior to our departure.

On arrival in South Africa we obtained a 90 day visa at the Airport, this was free of charge and straightforward.

Swaziland, Botswana & Namibia similarly issue  90 day visa's free of charge at the border.

In Zambia you can avoid paying for a visa providing you are on a Zambian hotel or lodges manifest. We booked a two night waiver package at Jollyboys Backpackers hostel in Livingstone from Botswana.

The cost for two nights in an en suite room was USD 50 p.p which included two meals and a free beer at the bar each. At the border they check the Jollyboys manifest and if your name is there they will issue you with a 14 day visa which you can then extend once your in the country free of charge.

Stop Press: On the 28th Jan 2008 with just 12 hours notice Zambia scrapped the visa waiver scheme and at the same time significantly raised the price of visa's.

UK passport holders now have to pay £75 or $140 for a single entry visa and a whopping £247/$442 for a multiple entry visa!

Malawi is issued free at the border for EU and Commonwealth residents. Validity is variable usually they will only issue a visa valid for 30 days which you can extend once in the country if you need longer.

Tanzania issue visa's at the border, the cost was  $50 each, valid for three months.

Note As a concession within the three months you are entitled to exit Tanzania to visit the other East African countries of Kenya and Uganda and re-enter Tanzania free of charge.

However there is a common misconception, even among travel agents, that this allows unlimited multiple visits between the countries, it does not.

In effect you are allowed only one free entry into Tanzania, i.e. you can leave Tanzania to visit Kenya and then re-enter within the three month period free of charge, however if you then leave Tanzania again to visit Kenya or Uganda on re-entering Tanzania you will be charged for a new visa  even if the original entry visa is still valid.

Kenya we obtained at the border, the cost was $50 each, valid for 3 mths. The same conditions re travel to other East African countries as described under Tanzania apply.

Uganda we will obtain at the border, the cost we believe is $30 each, valid for 3 mths. We understand the same conditions re travel to other East African countries as under Tanzania apply.

Ethiopia we will obtain in Nairobi, the cost we believe is $60 each, valid for 2 mths.

 

 

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