Update on Namibia's new reciprocal visa requirements!

The Federation of Namibian Tourism Associations (FENATA) has provided an update on Namibia’s new reciprocal visa requirements, set to take effect on 01 April 2025. According to FENATA, the new Visa on Arrival (VoA) process will be more convenient and hassle-free for international travellers. This initiative aims to simplify travel arrangements and improve the visitor experience in Namibia. The official launch is scheduled for 03 March 2025, coinciding with the activation of an online platform for travelers who wish to obtain their e-visas in advance. Relevant fact sheets and documents outlining the requirements will be distributed. We'll keep you posted!

also read: Namibia announces the implementation date for the introduction of reciprocal visa requirements! [update #2] >>

Botswana: e-Visa application system is temporarily interrupted! [update]

update (28 December 2022): Botswana's Department of Immigration and Citizenship has announced that the country's e-Visa application system is back to normal since 27 December 2022. The payment gateway, which "temporarily interrupted" the system since October 2022, has been restored. Applications that were paid during the period 14 October 2022 up to 21 December 2022 will be fully refunded through the bank.

Botswana's Department of Immigration and Citizenship has announced that the country's e-Visa application system is temporarily interrupted due to technical challenges. The registration of new visa applications is therefore also temporarily closed until further notice. The Department further confirms that duplicated payments due to this technical problem will be fully reimbursed. 

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship advises travellers intending to visit Botswana that for the time being visa can still be applied for at Embassies or High Commissions of Botswana.

 Get your Botswana eVisa Online Now! >>

Malawi to introduce online visa in November 2019!

The Government of Malawi is set to introduce an online visa application process. Effective 01 November 2019 travellers to Malawi will be able to apply and process visa online. The e-visa portal will allow applicants to fill and submit an application, upload required documents including photos and pay for visa fees. The e-visa applications will be processed within three working days. Once approved, the e-visa approval letter will be accesible through the applicants e-visa account. Additionally, an access link will also be provided through an instant email notification sent to the applicant’s email address. The e-visa applications must be paid in US$.

• Transit Visa US$50
• Single entry US$75 (90 days)
• Multiple entry for 6 months US$150
• Multiple entry for 12 months US$250

South Africa to roll out e-visas in New Zealand in April 2019! [update]

update (12 April 2019): South Africa's e-visa pilot programme in New Zealand is due to run until June 2019, after which it will be rolled out to additional countries, such as China, Nigeria and India, pending the success of the pilot phase.

According to news reports, South Africa's the first ever electronic visa (e-visa) system will be piloted in New Zealand in April 2019. The new visas will allow prospective visitors to apply for a visa online and, once granted, to print the e-visa at home. As of now, New Zealanders have to personally visit one of the two South Africa Visa Application Centres in New Zealand (in Wellington and Auckland) to apply for a visa for South Africa. The standard processing time is a minimum of four weeks.

Malawi to introduce online visa in November 2018! [update]

update (17 June 2019): According to the Nyasa Times, Malawi will lauch e-payment for visas as soon as the country's new minister of home affairs is appointed and is in office. We'll keep you posted!

According to the Nyasa Times, a privately owned online newspaper from Malawi, the Government of Malawi is set to introduce an online visa application process. As of now, the new facility will be implemented at the end of November 2018. Travellers planning to visit the county will then be able to apply for visas online, pay the visa fees online and collect their visa digitally. Malawi's Ministry of Tourism is currenly also planning to cut visa costs due to complains from travellers that visas for Malawi are more expensive than for other countries in the region. We'll keep you posted!

South Africa eases visa regulations for travellers!

South Africa has announced changes to its visa requirements in an effort to boost tourism and make business travel more conducive. The amendments, which are part of a broader economic turnaround programme announced by South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa last week, include new visa waiver agreements with more than a dozen countries across Africa, the Middle East and eastern Europe, the rules on traveling minors, the simplification of visa requirements as well as the introduction of long-term multiple entry visas and BRICS* visas. In addition, South Africa will pilot its e-Visa in New Zealand by April 2019 in a bid to improve efficiency of visa applications and will also pilot e-Gates at OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg, Cape Town International Airport (CPT) in Cape Town and King Shaka International Airport (DUR) in Durban by 2019. South Africa is currently also finalising the development of a new Biometric Movement Control System, which will be piloted at Cape Town International Airport (CPT) in Cape Town and Lanseria International Airport (HLA) in Johannesburg.

Visa waivers:

Negotiations are being finalised to conclude visa waiver agreements for ordinary passport holders with the following countries, from respective regions:

• Africa: Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Sao Tome & Principe, Tunisia, Saharawi-Arab Democratic Republic and Ghana.
• Middle East: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, State of Palestine, Iran, Lebanon, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait.
• Eastern Europe: Belarus and Georgia.
• Caribbean: Cuba
  

Travelling with minors:

Foreign nationals travelling to South Africa will no longer be required to have unabridged birth certificates for their minor children upon arrival in South Africa, but it is strongly recommend that travellers carry this documentation. Immigrations officials will only insist on documentation by exception - in high risk situations - rather than for all travellers, in line with practice by several other countries. Rather than denying entry where documentation is absent, travellers will be given an opportunity to prove parental consent. While foreign nationals are exempted from presenting documentation, South African minors travelling abroad will still be required to prove consent or have a minor passport. [We recommend to better have the unabridged birth certificate on hand when travelling to South Africa!]

Simplification of visa requirements:
 
In a bid to simplify visa requirements for countries such as China and India, South Africa's Ministry of Home Affairs will by October 2018, implement measures to fast track the processing of visas. The measures will include taking biometrics on arrival in South Africa; allowing visa applications via courier and issuing five-year multiple entry visas.

Long-term multiple entry and BRICS visas:

South Africa will issue long-term multiple entry visas in order to further ease movement of travellers. The type of multiple long-term visas include:

• A three-year multiple entry visa for frequent trusted travellers to South Africa
• A 10-year long-term multiple entry visa for business people and academics from Africa
  

Business people from BRICS* countries who require visas will be issued a 10-year multiple entry visa, within five days of application.

*an association of five major emerging national economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa

Ethiopia has launched e-visa service to all international visitors!

Ethiopia's Immigration and Nationality Affairs Main Department in collaboration with the national airline of Ethiopia, Ethiopian Airlines, has launched an e-visa service for all international visitors to Ethiopia effective 01 June 2018. The new e-visa is processed and issued online on a single webpage where applicants apply, pay and secure their entry visa online. Once the application is approved, applicants will receive an email authorizing them to travel to Ethiopia and they will get their passport stamped with the visa upon arrival at Bole International Airport (ADD) in the country's capital Addis Ababa.

#Ethiopia will start issuing visa online for tourists and other visitors across the world effective today (June 1). A relaxed visa regime will enhance both #Ethiopia’s openness and will allow the country to harness the significant stopover transit traffic of @flyethiopian.

— Fitsum Arega (@fitsumaregaa) June 1, 2018

Uganda has introduced an online visa application system!

Uganda has introduced an online visa application system (Uganda e-Visa) on 01 July 2016. Anyone intending to visit Uganda for tourism, business, study or other reasons is now required to obtain a visa online. The following types of visa are applicable:

• multiple-entry visa
• diplomatic and offical visa
• ordinary visa
• East Africa Tourist Visa (multiple entry valid for 90 days to Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda)
• transit visa

How to apply online:

1. Choose visa or permit type
2. Fill in the application form
3. Add the required documents
   (see https://visas.immigration.go.ug/#/help/visa)
4. Submit your online visa application

If the application gets approved, an approval letter will be sent as an attachment to the email provided by the applicant. This needs to be printed out and be presented together with a valid passport/travel document at the port of entry.

Through the month of July 2016, it is still possible to get visa on arrival. However, the traveller arriving in Uganda has to go through the new electronic application process at the port of entry. This will only apply during July 2016, after which all visa applications shall be online.

Uganda e-Visa

Zambia introduced an e-Visa system!

Zambia has introduced a new e-Visa system as an alternative to visas issued at Zambia's missions and at the ports of entry. Applicants for the e-Visa obtain their official document permitting entry into and travel within Zambia (visa) electronically after entering all required information on evisa.zambiaimmigration.gov.zm and making payments by a credit or debit card (Mastercard or Visa). This two-step visa application will take between three and five working days to process and applicants can check the status of their application online. According to the video below (which seems to be the official e-visa application process video - see the website of the Zambia Department of Immigration), you can also pay for your visa in cash at Zambia's ports of entry.

e-Visa