Visas are not required by nationals of the UK, Ireland and USA. However, a passport with at least 6 months validity is essential. As visa requirements change you are advised to check with the Botswana High Commission before travelling. If you are travelling to Botswana from areas infected with Yellow Fever, you must have a valid Yellow Fever vaccination certificate.

If travelling into Botswana via Zambia (Livingstone being the usual starting point) you may need to purchase a Zambian visa. Currently these cost US$50 cash per person and can be purchased on arrival. It’s also worth noting that if you travel on to Livingstone and are using Johannesburg as a hub for your flights you will need to obtain a yellow fever certificate to enter South Africa. If you are travelling to Botswana via South Africa you may need a South African transit visa. These need to be purchased in advance. UK citizens do not currently need a transit visa but many other nationals including US and some EU citizens do need a transit visa. If you are spending any time in South Africa you must have 2 blank passport pages opposite each other to enter the country.

All children under 16 years of age are required to carry (or their parents are required to carry) copies of both their passports and their unabridged (long version) birth certificates for arrival and departure from Botswana. If the child is travelling with only one parent, or another adult, the other parent's affidavit consenting to such travel should also be presented. However, an affidavit will not be required if the father's name does not appear on the child's birth certificate. Please note, these regulations also apply if flying via South Africa.

We recommend you double check visa requirements before travel as requirements can change.

Non-UK passport holders: please consult your embassy or consulate in your home country for the latest advice on visas and entry requirements.

When to Travel

Botswana experiences extremes in both temperature and weather. It is primarily a dry country with a summer rainy season which runs from November to March. During the winter period (May to August) rain is very rare. Days are normally clear and sunny and nights are cool to very cold. Frost is not uncommon in the early morning. This is the most popular time to go on safari in Botswana, though the Nov-Mar ‘Green Season’ also has its advantages.

Health and Immunisation

At the time of writing, the recommended immunisations are: Typhoid and Polio (if not vaccinated within the last 10 years), Hepatitis A and Diptheria. All travellers who have travelled through or from countries which have been declared yellow fever infected areas MUST provide an international health certificate of vaccination for yellow fever upon arrival into Botswana.

Good protection against malaria is strongly recommended. Most importantly - insect bite precautions e.g. insect repellent containing DEET (Autan, Jungle Formula or Pure DEET).

As a relatively wealthy country, Botswana enjoys high standards of health care, and in the large hospitals in Gaborone and Francistown, facilities are comparable to those of Europe. Nevertheless, if on safari in the bush you will need a reasonable medical kit and are advised to carry all personal medicines you are likely to need with you.

Medical requirements are subject to change and it is essential that you check with your travel clinic/doctor before travelling.

Currency

Currency is the Botswana ‘Pula’, which is divided into 100 Thebe. Bank notes come in denominations of P1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50, and coins in denominations of 1t, 2t, 5t, 50t and P1. Officially, foreigners may export up to US$185 (P500) in cash or up to US$370 (P1000) in foreign bank notes. Most camps and lodges will accept credit cards but may charge a commission. A good supply of one dollar bills, obtained before leaving the UK, will help with tipping.

Tipping

While tipping isn’t required, given the official policy of promoting only upmarket tourism it’s now expected in many hotels and restaurants. In most places a service charge is added as a matter of course, but a tip may be given otherwise. Tips for taxi drivers are at your discretion.

On safari, we recommend the following tipping guidelines for guides and camp staff, provided you are happy with the service:

Guides - For safaris we recommend a tip of $10 per client per day for your guide.

Cooks, waiters, lodge/camp staff - there is usually a box at the camp for tipping. We recommend approx. $5 per client per day into the kitty.

Mokoro paddlers are great capitalists and will expect a tip! We recommend each paddler is tipped $5 per person per day.