This article about Zimbabwe visa requirements has been fully updated in May 2024.

Do I need a Zimbabwe visa as a tourist?

For most tourists, the good news is that the Zimbabwe visa process is fairly simple and doesn’t require much planning.

There are three categories of nationalities, the first requires no visa, the next requiring simply a visa on arrival, and the last requiring a visa in advance. For citizens from the majority of countries, a visa on arrival is all you need to visit Zimbabwe: not much hassle at all. I’ve written the most common countries below, but a full list of countries is in the image towards the end of the article. Don’t forget to read the “Notes for all nationalities” at the bottom of this article, too.

1. Zimbabwe visas for citizens from Category A

• If you’re a citizen of a SADC country, Malta, Hong Kong, or Singapore you do not need a visa to enter Zimbabwe for a holiday.
• When you show your passport upon arrival at the airport or border, you will be allowed to enter Zimbabwe without any fees or visa requirements.
• Read the section “Notes for all nationalities” at the end of this article for Zimbabwe visitor passport requirements applicable for everyone.
• The full list of countries in Category A are shown further down this page; you can also confirm this category list on the official Zimbabwe eVisa website under ‘Visa regime’.

2. Zimbabwe visas for citizens from Category B

• If you’re from the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland and USA, you do not need to apply for a visa in advance. You will get a Zimbabwe visa upon arrival in Zimbabwe.
• How to get it: When you arrive at the airport arrivals hall or border post in Zimbabwe, you will be given an ‘Immigration Declaration Form’ (the visa form) to complete. It is not a long form; a sample of the form can be viewed here. Ensure you have a pen. You could theoretically print this out and fill it in advance, but I haven’t tried it myself to see if the officials would accept it.
• You will need to pay the visa fee in US Dollars cash at the desk at the airport. Take the exact denomination of notes if possible. The amount to pay is outlined below.
• Types of Zimbabwe visas:
  • Single Entry Visa (most common): choose this if you are only entering Zimbabwe once during your holiday and not, for example, going to Livingstone-Zambia or Chobe-Botswana and then back into Zimbabwe. See our map below to be aware of different countries around Zimbabwe. It’s not a huge deal if you change your mind later to do a trip across the border; you’ll simply need to pay for another Single Entry Visa.
  • Double Entry Visa: choose this if you need two entries into Zimbabwe and two exits out of Zimbabwe which will be used within 90 days of the issue date. Choose this if, for example, you’re visiting Zimbabwe, then going to Livingstone-Zambia or Chobe-Botswana and back to Zimbabwe again.
  • KAZA Visa or UniVisa: choose this in specific circumstances when travelling between Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana. Most travellers won’t need this as a visa isn’t required to enter Zambia (for many countries). See this article for details.
  • Multiple Entry Visa: this is hardly used because it can only be done at the town office; choose repeated Double Entry Visas instead.
• How much does it cost?:
  • For UK and Ireland citizens: Single Entry: US$ 55 | Double Entry: US$ 70. Payable in cash.
  • For Canadian citizens: Single Entry: US$ 75. Payable in cash. Canadian Passport holders can only get a Single Entry Zimbabwe visa at the port of Entry, not a Multiple Entry Visa.
  • For the rest of the countries in Category B: Single Entry: US$ 30 | Double Entry: US$ 45. Payable in cash.
• Although you can theoretically apply for your visa online in advance, I don’t recommend this, because it won’t save you any time; you’ll still need to stand in the same queue at the airport, and the online process is tedious.
• Children do need a visa for each of them, too – and for the same price as adults.
• There are no other visa requirements for Category B, but read the section “Notes for all nationalities” at the end of this article for requirements applicable to everyone.
• The full list of countries in Category B are shown further down this page; you can also confirm the category list on the official Zimbabwe eVisa website under ‘Visa regime’.

  

3. Zimbabwe visas for citizens from Category C

• If you’re from India, Nigeria and Mexico, you need to apply for a visa electronically or at the Zimbabwe Embassy in your country in advance before travelling to Zimbabwe.
• The full list of countries in Category B are shown further down this page; you can also confirm the category list on the official Zimbabwe eVisa website under ‘Visa regime’.
• How to do it: Apply at the Zimbabwe Embassy in your own country or online at www.evisa.gov.zw (go to the ‘Apply’ tab). You need to apply for this at least three weeks before your travel date. It should take seven working days to obtain an eVisa. You need to register on the system to create an account, and then fill in all the details. After completing the online form, you will be emailed a document to use upon arrival in Zimbabwe. The visa fee should later be paid in US Dollar cash at the airport or border post when you arrive in Zimbabwe. Use the ‘Help’ tab on the eVisa website for more info.
• Types of Zimbabwe holiday visas:
  • Single Entry Visa (most common): choose this if you are only entering Zimbabwe once during your holiday and not, for example, going to Livingstone-Zambia or Chobe-Botswana and then back into Zimbabwe. See our map below to be aware of different countries around Zimbabwe. It’s not a huge deal if you change your mind later to do a trip across the border; you’ll simply need to pay for another Single Entry Visa.
  • Double Entry Visa: choose this if you need two entries into Zimbabwe and two exits out of Zimbabwe which will be used within 90 days of the issue date. Choose this if, for example, you’re visiting Zimbabwe, then going to Livingstone-Zambia or Chobe-Botswana and back to Zimbabwe again.
  • KAZA Visa or UniVisa: choose this in specific circumstances when travelling between Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana. Most travellers won’t need this as a visa isn’t required to enter Zambia (for many countries). See this article for details.
  • Multiple Entry Visa: this is hardly used because it can only be done at the town office; choose repeated Double Entry Visas instead.
• Holiday eVisa requirements for Category C nationals (official info here):
  • Completion of online visa form at evisa.gov.zw.
  • Two passport-sized colour photographs showing ears, no smiling.
  • Scanned colour photocopy of your passport, which must be valid for at least 6 months. If you live in a country that is different to your nationality, you will need to include a photocopy of your residence stamp or card. If you have previously visited Zimbabwe, include copies of previous Zimbabwe visas.
  • Proof of residence in your country of origin (e.g. a utilty bill or lease displaying your name and your address).
  • Address of hotel in Zimbabwe and scanned booking confirmation or a letter of invitation from a Zimbabwean host, signed with a signature in blue ink.
    • If using a letter of invitation, the letter should include the host’s address, full name and ID number, as well as your full name, ID number and dates of visit. You will also need colour scanned copies of the host’s proof of residence in form of current telephone bill or water bill.
  • Scanned colour photocopy of your ID if you have one.
  • Scanned colour photocopy of your previous Zimbabwe visa if you’ve had one.
• Children do need a visa for each of them, too – and for the same price as adults.
• Read the section “Notes for all nationalities” at the end of this article for requirements applicable to everyone.

Notes for all nationalities visiting Zimbabwe

• Passport requirements for everyone: Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of arrival in Zimbabwe, and should have at least 3 blank pages left in it. You should have proof of onward/return tickets out of the country, or sufficient money to buy one (although I have never seen this being checked at the airport).
• Top tip: Children and babies are charged full visa fees regardless of their age (if they are citizens of Category B or C). You will of course need to bring your child’s passport with you. Officially you do not need to bring your child’s birth certificate, but I would bring it anyway, as a precaution (see the note further down about travelling through South Africa [a different country to Zimbabwe] with a child).
• Declaring cash: If you enter the country with less than US $2000, and you don’t anticipate taking more than $2000 amount out the country, then you don’t need to use a special form to declare your cash. You can just write the amount of cash in the regular Immigration Declaration Form upon arrival. However, if you plan on taking more than US $2000 out of Zimbabwe, you will need to do the following: When arriving in Zimbabwe, go to Customs (red route), declare your cash in the blue Form 47 provided, and keep this form safe to display it to officials when departing Zimbabwe. (To see details of this form, you can find the PDF online by Googling “Zimra Form 47“).
• Length of time for a Zimbabwe holiday visa (Category B and C): Holiday visas are valid for 90 days from the date of issue, and they are issued for a maximum of a 30-day stay. If you wish to stay in Zimbabwe for longer than 30 days, you can extend the visa at a consulate office in Zimbabwe without too much fuss if you’re a Category B citizen. A reader from New Zealand says: “The immigration office in Harare (Herbert Chitepo Avenue) is clearly signposted about 100 metres along from the US embassy on the opposite side. A month after we arrived in Zimbabwe we turned up at the immigration building. Just had to fill in another immigration form – the same one as at the airport – and then went into the next room to submit it to the immigration officer who stamped it and gave us another 30 days no questions asked (took all of 15 minutes with no queues).” You can get two free extensions up to three months. From three to six months it costs US$20 per month. Any extension seven months and more is US$100 per month. There is a three day grace period from the visa expiry date.
• Important note on flights via South Africa with children: If you are travelling from, or via, the country of South Africa with children, have a look at the South African entry requirements which includes needing to show their birth certificate (here’s a link to official UK travel advice for SA). The South African Department of Home Affairs have confirmed that no supporting documents will be required by people in direct transit through a South African International Airport to another country. However, to be on the safe side, I would advise that it would be best to travel with your child’s birth certificate, as well as a letter from the other parent if you are travelling without them.
• Other types of visas: This article discusses tourist visa information; however see the e-visa website for guidance on alternative types of visa, such as Zimbabwe Business Visas, Transit Visas and Conferencing Visas (more info on the Zimbabwe eVisa website).

Useful websites and contact info about Zimbabwe visas

• Official Zimbabwe e-visa website | Email: [email protected] | Address: Department of Immigration, PO Bag 7717, Causeway, Harare, Zimbabwe. Telephone: +263-4-791913/8
• Zimbabwe Embassy in USA | Address: 608 New Hampshire Ave NW, Washington, DC 20009, United States. Telephone: +1 202-332-7100
• Official UK Government Zimbabwe visa information

Make sure you also read the Zimbabwe travel quick reference guide

You may also be interested in the following articles on related Zimbabwe topics:

• How to renew a Zimbabwe passport from the UK: step-by-step guide
• Flights to Zimbabwe
• Transport within Zimbabwe
• Tips on flying to Africa with a baby
• Practical information and FAQs about visiting Zimbabwe
• Top tips on staying safe in Zimbabwe
• What to pack for a Zimbabwe holiday
• Harare travel guide
• Victoria Falls travel guide
• Bulawayo travel guide
• A guide to Great Zimbabwe Monument

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Do you have a question about visiting Zimbabwe? Start with the Quick-reference list of travel advice. 

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