Zimbabwe Visas – Requirements & More
Zimbabwe has three different categories of visa regimes; it is vital that you check the Zimbabwe eVisa website to determine the category into which you fall ((https://www.evisa.gov.zw/VisaCategories).
Citizens of Category A do not require visas to enter Zimbabwe; citizens of Category B do require visas and will obtain them on arrival (no extra documentation required other than what was stated in the document checklist below); and citizens of Category C are required to obtain their visas before arrival, using Zimbabwe’s eVisa service.
Category A: No visa required
Angola, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Cayman Islands, Conakry, Cyprus, Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Fiji, Ghana, Grenada, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Of China, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Leeward Islands, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Montserrat, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent And The Grenadines, Samoa Western, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, St Kitts And Nevis, Swaziland, Tonga, Trinidad And Tobago, Turks And Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Republic Of Tanzania, Vanuatu, Zambia
Category B: Obtain visa on arrival
Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bosnia And Herzegovina, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burundi, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, China, China (Non Tour), Comoros, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, French Guiana, French Polynesia, French W/Indies, Georgia, Germany, Gilbraltar, Greece, Guam, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Islamic Republic Of, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea (South), Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao Special Administrative Region Of China, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Micronesia, Federated States Of, Moldova, Monaco, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norfolk Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Palau Island, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Reunion, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Samoa (America), San Marino, Sao Tome And Principe, Senegal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom Of Great Britain And Northern Ireland, United States Of America, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vatican, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic Of)
***The eligibility criteria for Chinese nationals a. Only Chinese tourists travelling as a group cleared by Tour Operators and Travel Agencies in the People’s Republic of China qualify. b. Chinese business persons and other citizens of the People’s Republic of China as approved by their Governement need to apply for visas online.
Category C: Consists of those countries whose nationals are required to obtain their visa before travelling to Zimbabwe
Afghanistan, Anguilla, Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cd’ivoire, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Congo Brazaville, Democratic People’s Republic Of Korea, Djibouti Republic, Eritrea, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Iraq, Jordan, Kosovo, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Liberia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Mali, Mauritania, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Refugee, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Taiwan, Thailand, The Former Yugoslav Republic Of Macedonia, Togo, Tunisia, Viet Nam
Typical Passport Requirements
Most countries in Africa require a passport with a minimum validity of six months from the date of travel and between 2 – 6 consecutive blank pages. Please verify the exact requirements prior to travel.
General documents required for obtaining a Zimbabwean holiday visa
- Address At Destination
- Passport Photo
- Passport Scan (must be valid for at least 6 months)
- Previous Zimbabwean Visa (If Any)
- Proof Of Residence In Country Of Origin
This is the link to apply for an eVisa: https://www.evisa.gov.zw/#/Home
Please reconfirm the requirements prior to travel.
Zimbabwe visas and entry: common questions
Do I need a visa for Zimbabwe?
Zimbabwe uses a three-category system. Category A nationalities are visa-exempt and include Botswana, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda. Category B get a visa on arrival, and both India and the United States are Category B, as are the UK, Canada, Australia, France and Japan. Category C must obtain and pay for a visa in advance. So most of our guests can simply arrive — but you can also pre-pay online if you would rather not queue.
Where do I apply if I want to pre-pay?
The official portal is evisa.gov.zw, with the department at zimimmigration.gov.zw. A warning that applies to every country on this site: commercial reseller sites consistently outrank the official portals in search results, because the government portals are JavaScript applications that index badly while the copycats are static pages that index beautifully. They charge a markup for filling in the same form. Check the domain before you pay anyone. Processing averages around seven working days and the department advises applying at least three weeks ahead. Immigration also asks travellers to complete the Zimbabwe Entry Declaration Form before travel.
How much is a Zimbabwean visa?
Zimbabwe deliberately does not publish a schedule — its official FAQ says the cost will be stated in your approval response. What we can tell you is the practical part: bring small-denomination US dollars in cash if you are paying on arrival. Arriving at Victoria Falls with only large notes, or expecting to pay by card, is a real and recurring failure point.
Can I use one visa for Zimbabwe and Zambia?
Yes — the KAZA UniVisa is US$50 and gives 30 days of multiple entries between the two countries, plus day trips into Botswana at the Kazungula border. Zimbabwe issues it both prepaid and on arrival, at Harare, Bulawayo and Victoria Falls airports and two land borders. Over 80 nationalities qualify including the United States; we could not confirm Indian passports are on the list, so check before relying on it. It has been suspended in the past, so confirm it is operating when you book.
What else gets checked at the border?
Passport validity of six months and three blank pages. A yellow fever certificate if you are arriving from a risk country. Cash export is limited to US$2,000 and amounts over US$10,000 must be declared on entry. One niche but real point: journalists need prior accreditation, which matters if you are travelling with professional filming equipment.