Journey through Botswana

Travel insurance is compulsory for all our trips. We require that, at a minimum, you are covered for medical expenses including emergency repatriation. We strongly recommend that the policy also covers personal liability, cancellation, curtailment and loss of luggage and personal effects. When travelling on a group trip, you won't be permitted to join the group until evidence of travel insurance and the insurance company's 24 hour emergency contact number has been seen by your leader. If you have credit card insurance your group leader will require details of the participating insurer/underwriter, the level of coverage, policy number and emergency contact number rather than the bank's name and credit card details. Please contact your bank for these details prior to arriving in-country. Please go to our website for links to various travel insurance providers.

PASSPORT As a general rule most countries expect that your passport has a minimum of 6 months validity remaining. Please ensure the name on your passport matches the name on your booking and airline tickets. Your passport details are required to complete your booking. Your consultant will contact you when this is required. Take a copy of the main passport pages and other important documents with you, and leave another copy at home with family or friends. VISAS Visas are the responsibility of the individual traveller. Entry requirements can change at any time, so it's important that you check for the latest information. Please visit the relevant consular website of the country or countries you’re visiting for detailed and up-to-date visa information specific to your nationality. Your consultant will also be happy to point you in the right direction with acquiring visas. Visas can take several weeks to process, so familiarise yourself with any requirements as soon as you have booked your trip to allow for processing time. SOUTH AFRICA: Many countries do not need visas to visit South Africa as a tourist for up to three months. Please check with the relevant consulates as to whether a visa is required NEW ZEALAND PASSPORT HOLDERS: All New Zealand visitors to South Africa are required to arrange a visa prior to departure via the South African High Commission in Wellington or Auckland. Applicants may be required to apply for the visa in person, or can apply through Travcour NZ if applying in person is not possible. Please visit www.dha.gov.za for further information as well as details on required supporting documents that may need to accompany a visa application. Supporting documentation can be requested via your booking agent. Entry Requirements – Passports: Please note that non-machine readable passports are no longer accepted by South African immigration. All visitors to South Africa must have a machine readable travel document (e-passport). Failure to present an e-passport will result in denied entry. Passengers with a valid visa issued in a non-machine readable passport will be handled on a case by case basis, but a fine will still be applicable. Entry Requirements - Yellow Fever Certificate: A valid Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate is required for all passengers over one year of age who arrive or are transiting through South Africa, from a country or region listed by the World Health Organization as infected by yellow fever. Travellers unable to present a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate issued at least 10 days before arrival in South Africa will be refused entry. There is no option for travellers without a vaccination certificate to be vaccinated on arrival. Please note this also includes transiting through an infected country or region. Entry Requirements - Travelling with Children: Parents need to produce an original unabridged birth certificate if they are travelling with children. This regulation has been put in place to protect children from being abducted, kidnapped and trafficked. The Department of Home Affairs has urged all parents to apply for unabridged certificates for their children. Additionally, further documentation including permission to travel, may be required if only one parent is travelling. These are requirements of the immigration regulation 6 (12)(a) for parents travelling with children. More information can be found here: http://www.dha.gov.za/index.php/civic-services/traveling-with-children BOTSWANA: Please check with your relevant consulates as to whether a visa is required. For passengers requiring a visa to Botswana, application forms can be downloaded from http://www.gov.bw/en/ as well as instructions for applying. Tourism Development Levy - Effective 1 June 2017: All visitors to Botswana are required to pay a compulsory Tourism Development Levy of 30USD. The Levy will be payable by cash or credit card at your first port of entry into the country. It is valid for 30 days and can be used for multiple entry. Entry Requirements - Yellow Fever Certificate: A valid Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate is required for all passengers over one year of age who arrive or are transiting through Botswana, from a country or region listed by the World Health Organization as infected by yellow fever. Travellers unable to present a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate issued at least 10 days before arrival will be refused entry. There is no option for travellers without a vaccination certificate to be vaccinated on arrival. Please note this also includes transiting through an infected country or region. Children travelling to Botswana: Please note that if you’re travelling to Botswana with a person under the age of 18 then you need to provide a certified copy of the child’s full unabridged birth certificate in order to enter the country (the one listing the child’s details and both parents’ details. - the short birth certificate which only lists the child’s details won’t be accepted). Additionally, if the child is travelling with only one parent, with neither biological parent, or is unaccompanied, then they must provide an affidavit of consent of the parent(s) that are not travelling, to prove that the trip is made with both parents' consent. Please contact your nearest Botswanan Embassy if you have further questions regarding this. NAMIBIA: Many nationalities are not required to obtain a tourist visa in Namibia if traveling for a maximum period of 90 days. For other nationalities, please contact the local consulate or embassy for visa requirements. Please check with the relevant visa office before departure to make sure there has been no change. ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwe visas are required by most nationalities, including from the EU, US and Australia. For most nationalities, Zimbabwe visas are available at the point of entry. If you plan to purchase your visa on arrival you will need approximately USD30/45 in cash. All nationalities should check with their nearest Zimbabwe Embassy for up to date information. For passengers from countries that require visas prior to arrival there is an E-Visa where information can be found at https://www.evisa.gov.zw/Services/Holiday KAZA Visa: The Kaza visa is valid for travel between Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is available at land borders at Livingstone (Zimbabwe border) and Kazungula (Botswana border). The cost of the visa is USD$50 and is valid for 30 days as long as you stay within Zimbabwe and Zambia. BORDER CROSSINGS ON THIS TRIP: Day 2 Exit South Africa - Groblers Bridge (Groblersbrug) Enter Botswana - Martin's Drift Day 6 Exit Botswana - Mohembo Enter Namibia - Mohembo Day 8 Exit Namibia - Ngoma bridge Enter Botswana - Ngoma bridge Day 9 Exit Botswana - Kazungula road Enter Zimbabwe - Kazungula road