Zambia Visa Application & Requirements

Zambia is an interesting country in South Africa. There are so many natural beauties you can see and lots of places you can visit. You can go for a safari experience and enjoy your vacation in Zambia. It is totally safe to travel to Zambia. For this reason, Zambia attracts more tourists every year. However, you may not know if you need a Zambia visa to travel to this beautiful country. So, we have made this comprehensive guide about Zambia visas and Zambia visa requirements. While reading these guidelines for a Zambia visa, you can find all the information that fits your situation.

Guidelines for Zambia Visa 

The Zambian government has made the Zambia visa process easier for everyone! If you think you will need a Zambia visa to travel to Zambia, then the good news is that you can apply for Zambia visa online. Also, depending on your nationality you may be considered visa-exempt when traveling to Zambia. In this article, we are going to explain if you are considered to be a visa-exempt for Zambia or if you need to get a Zambia visa. Then, how you can apply for your visa and the Zambia visa requirements that you should follow.

Do you need a Zambia visa?

Most likely, you will not need a Zambian visa as a tourist. However, depending on your nationality, you may have to get one. If you cannot see your countries below on the list of Zambia’s visa exemptions, then you can apply for a Zambia visa online or a Zambia visa on arrival.

Zambia visa-exemptions

If you are a citizen of the following countries, you can travel to Zambia without having to get a Zambia visa for your trips that are up to 90 days: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Botswana, Cyprus, Dominica, Dominica, Eswatini, Fiji, Grenada, Hong Kong, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Montenegro, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Romania, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, and Zimbabwe.

Note that if your passport is issued in the following regions, you are also considered to be visa-exempt for entering Zambian territory: Anguilla, Bermuda, The British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha, Turks and Caicos Islands, Isle of Man, Guernsey, Jersey, Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau, and Norfolk Island residents.

Luckily, this is not all there is to it! If you cannot see your country above, you may be eligible for a Zambia visa on arrival.

How to get a Zambia visa on arrival?

The Zambian government is offering an option for you to apply for a Zambia visa at the airport. If you are a citizen of the following countries, you can apply for a Zambia visa on arrival: European Union countries, Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Belarus, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Burundi, Cambodia Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Eritrea, Georgia, El Salvador, Ghana, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, Laos, Liechtenstein, Madagascar, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nauru, New Zealand, Nicaragua, North Macedonia, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Russia, Rwanda, San Marino, São Tomé and Príncipe, South Korea, Saint Lucia, Suriname, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, The United States, Uruguay, Western Sahara, Venezuela, and Vietnam.

However, these apply to short-stay Zambia visas. If you are planning to stay longer than 90 days in Zambia, then you should also be checking out the Zambia visa types that you can apply to.

Zambia visa types

Before you make your Zambia visa application, you should choose the visa type that meets your needs and the purpose of your visit. Here are the Zambia visa types that you can apply for:

• Zambia Tourist Visa: This visa type is offered specifically for foreigners traveling for tourism. You should be applying for this Zambia visa if you are not covered by the visa-exempt countries above.
• Zambia Business Visa: If you are traveling to Zambia for business purposes, this should be the only type of visa you need to apply for.
• Zambia Work Visa: If you are planning to work in Zambia, then you should be applying for this Zambia visa type. This visa type is also referred to as the Zambian Employment Permit and provides you with the right to work in Zambia.
• Zambia Student Visa: If you are planning to study in Zambia, then you should be applying for a Zambia student visa.
• Zambia Transit visa: If your final destination is not Zambia but you are planning to book a flight ticket that is transferring through Zambia, then you should be applying for this visa type.
• Zambia Day-Tripper Visa: This visa type is similar to the Zambia transit visa but it allows you to leave the airport and stay in Zambia for a day long. However, this visa type is only issued at the Victoria Falls and Kazungula Border Controls. Also, you are required to exit through the same point you have entered.

In addition to the Zambia visa types above, you should also be careful with the number of entries assigned to your visa. Zambia offers single entry visas, double-entry visas, and multiple entry visas according to your need. It is always advised to apply for a multiple entry visa in case you need to exit the country and re-enter Zambia.

Zambia visa requirements

There are some strict Zambia visa requirements that you should be following. Any failure with following these visa requirements may result in a visa refusal. For this reason, we have listed below all the required documents you should know of:

• A passport that is valid at least for the next 6 months
• Carefully filled Zambia visa application form
• Zambia visa photos
• Proof of your return flight ticket from Zambia

In addition to these, if you are going to apply for a Zambia tourist visa, you are required to provide proof of hotel booking or other forms of tourist accommodation, and a cover letter addressed to the Director-General of Immigration.

Also, depending on the type of Zambia visa you are applying for, the requirements may change. For instance, if you are applying for Zambia Business Visa, the following documents are required:

• An invitation letter from the host company in Zambia
• A letter from your company that includes information such as the details of your trip, your address and your contact numbers
• A certified copy of the host company’s certificate of incorporation

For the Zambia transit visa, you are additionally required to provide the following documents:

• Proof of your travel plans
• Your final destination and your visa (if you have any)
• A cover letter signed by you

If you have any intentions to work in Zambia, you are required to apply for a Zambia work visa. For this visa type, there are some additional requirements, such as:

• Employment contract and cover letter
• Your Resume
• Proof of criminal record
• Proof of qualifications

Lastly, if you are planning to study in Zambia, you are required to provide the following documents for your Zambia visa application:

• A letter of acceptance from a higher education institution
• Proof of criminal record
• A cover letter signed by you

Bear in mind that, depending on your application, you may be asked to provide additional documents. 

What is KAZA Univisa and how do you get one?

There is a unique visa program called the KAZA Univisa. Thanks to this visa type, you can travel to both Zambia and Zimbabwe with the same visa. If you have this visa, you will hold the right to both a Zambia visa and a Zimbabwe visa. However, not everyone is eligible for this visa type. If you are a citizen of the following countries, you can apply for this KAZA Univisa visa type: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Burundi, Canada, Cape Verde, Comoros, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Haiti, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, Moldova, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, and Uruguay.    

How can you apply for a Zambia visa?

There are two ways you can apply for a Zambia visa. You can either apply online or you can apply at the Zambian consulate or embassy. Keep in mind that, if you are planning to do your Zambia visa application at the consulate, you should check the opening hours, working days, and specific requirements given by the consulate.  If there is not any Zambian consulate near you, we suggest you to save yourself some time and apply for Zambia eVisa.

Can you apply for a Zambia visa online?

Yes, you can! As we have just mentioned above, everyone can apply Zambia visa online.

To be able to successfully complete your application for a Zambia visa online, you must follow these steps below:

• Carefully fill the Zambia visa application form
• Upload the digital versions of the required documents
• Pay the Zambia visa fee stated in your application
• Closely follow your Zambia visa application process

It is important that you follow the visa processing closely in case of a possible visa refusal. For this reason, we suggest you apply for your Zambia visa as soon as possible.

Zambia visa processing time

There is no exact given period of Zambia visa processing time. This is due to the fact that visa processing time may change depending on your nationality, and the number of applications when you also made your visa application.

However, in general, if you have applied for a Zambia visa online, you should expect to wait three to five days to get your Zambia visa.

If you apply for a Zambia visa in person, then you should expect to wait for a week for the Zambian consulate/embassy to process your visa application.

Zambia visa fee

Zambia visa cost depends on the entry type and the type of visa you are applying for. So, we have listed all the Zambia visa fee you should know of:

• Zambia Single Entry Visa $50
• Zambia Double Entry Visa $80
• Zambia Multiple Entry Visa $150
• Zambia Transit Visa $50
• Zambia Day Tripper Visa $20
• KAZA UNIVISA $50

Extending your Zambia visa

As Zambian visas are usually given for 30 days, it is normal for you to look for any possible Zambia visa extension. Rest assured, it is possible to extend your Zambia visa for free! If you would like to extend your visa, you can go to the Department of Immigration in Zambia and extend your stay for up to 90 days, free of charge!

Zambia visa for US citizens

Zambia visa requirements for US citizens are no different than as we have explained above. As an American citizen, you are required to apply for a Zambia visa. You can either do your application for a Zambia visa on arrival or apply for KAZA Univisa to see Zimbabwe as well. As KAZA Univisa offers you more opportunities and destinations to travel, we are recommending you to apply for a KAZA Univisa.