Many tourists do not need a visa for Zambia at all. British passport holders can stay up to 90 days in any 12-month period without one, and Zambia's visa waiver, expanded in 2022 and again in 2025, also covers many other countries, including the US, Canada, Australia and most of the EU at the time of writing. Those who do need a visa pay US$50 for a single entry, the fee since January 2026, either online in advance or on arrival.
Do you need a visa?
Zambia sorts nationalities into three groups:
- No visa required. You arrive, show your passport, onward ticket and where you are staying, and get a stamp. The waiver list has grown in recent years and now covers more than 160 countries by some counts.
- Visa on arrival. You can buy the visa at the port of entry, or apply online first.
- Visa required in advance. A smaller group of nationalities must apply and be approved before travelling.
The lists change, and third-party websites are often out of date. Check your nationality with the Zambia Department of Immigration or your own government's travel advice before you book.
Fees at the time of writing
Zambia raised its visa fees on 1 January 2026. The figures below come from the Department of Immigration's announcement, as reported in Zambian tourism press:
| Visa | Fee |
|---|---|
| Single entry | US$50 |
| Double entry | US$80 |
| Multiple entry | US$80 |
| Day tripper | US$10 |
| KAZA UniVisa (Zambia and Zimbabwe) | US$50 |
Fees are charged in US dollars. Bring cash in clean notes printed in the last ten years or so, as worn or very old notes are sometimes refused. Card payment is sometimes available but cannot be relied on.
Which visa to ask for
Single entry suits a trip that stays in Zambia. If you leave, even for a morning on the Zimbabwean side, it ends.
Double entry covers you if you leave once and come back, for example flying into Livingstone, spending two nights in Botswana and returning.
The KAZA UniVisa covers Zambia and Zimbabwe together for 30 days, with day trips into Botswana. At the same price as a single entry, it is usually the better buy if you need a Zambian visa and plan to see the Zimbabwean side. The KAZA UniVisa guide covers the details.
Multiple entry visas are only issued through the online e-visa system and approved at immigration headquarters, so you cannot buy one at the airport.
Day tripper visas are for visitors entering Zambia from a neighbouring country for the day, typically on an organised excursion from Victoria Falls town or Kasane. They are not a cheap substitute for a tourist visa if you are sleeping in Zambia.
Applying online
Zambia runs an e-visa system through the Department of Immigration's website. Applying in advance gets you an approval letter to print and show on arrival, and avoids a fee queue. For nationalities that must apply before travel, it is the only route. Allow at least a week, and longer in the July to October peak.
Use the official government site. Several commercial sites look official and charge a large service fee for the same visa.
Passport rules that catch people out
- Six months' validity from your arrival date.
- Blank pages. The UK government advises at least two for Zambia. Each crossing between Zambia and Zimbabwe adds stamps, and visa stickers take a full page, so have three or four if you are visiting both sides or going to Botswana.
- Onward ticket and funds. Officers can ask for proof of a return or onward flight and of where you are staying. It is rarely checked in detail but have it on your phone.
- Children. If you travel with children who are not your own, or with only one parent, carry birth certificates and a consent letter. Neighbouring South Africa enforces this more strictly than Zambia, but airlines can ask.
Yellow fever
Zambia asks for a yellow fever certificate from travellers arriving from countries with yellow fever transmission risk. Arriving from Europe via Johannesburg, you are normally not asked. Talk to a travel clinic about your route; health and malaria at Victoria Falls has the general picture.
Staying longer or working
Visitors on a waiver or tourist visa may not work, including volunteering in many cases. If you want to extend your stay, go to an immigration office before your permit expires; overstays can mean fines or trouble when you leave.
On arrival
The process at Livingstone is quick when it is quiet. Have your passport, the address where you are staying and the dollars ready. Lodges can usually advise on what their recent guests were asked for at the airport; Zambezi Dusk's team is one to ask if you are staying there. For Zimbabwe's rules, see the separate Zimbabwe visa guide.
