Visas and Passports: Travel Documents Needed

Visas and Passports: Check Your Travel Documents

It is your responsibility to check the passport, visa and travel document requirements for every country in your itinerary. These requirements depend on your nationality, routing, length of stay, family circumstances and any countries you may transit through.

Please check the official advice for each destination at the time of booking, and again around 6 weeks before travel. Government regulations can change without warning.

For passports and visas, you should check with the Embassy, High Commission or official immigration authority of each country you plan to visit. You may also find the following services useful:

There are also a number of websites which aggregate this information. We find the following ones useful:

Star Alliance airline consortium – offers Visa and Health information

CIBT visa service – a fee-based visa service with a free online checking tool

Passports

For most countries we feature, your passport should be valid for at least six months beyond your planned departure date from that country. South Africa is different for many leisure travellers, but you should still check the latest official requirements for your nationality before travel.

You should also make sure that you have enough blank pages in your passport. We recommend allowing at least two blank visa pages if you are coming to one country. This is for each time that you pass through an international border in your itinerary.  But you will need considerably more if your itinerary involves several border crossings.

For example, if you travel to South Africa, Botswana and Victoria Falls, you may pass through several international borders during one trip. Running out of blank passport pages can cause serious problems, including being denied boarding or entry.

Visas on Arrival

Some African destinations allow certain passport holders to obtain a visa on arrival. (But there are many nationalities to whom this concession has not been extended.) So this can vary by nationality and may change without much notice.

Where possible, we recommend checking visa requirements well in advance. If you do need a visa, you can usually apply directly through the relevant Embassy or High Commission. Some travellers prefer to use a commercial visa service, which charges a service fee but can help guide you through the process.

Travelling with Children

Requirements for children under 18 can be more detailed than for adults, especially if a child is travelling with only one parent, with neither biological parent (eg grandparents), with a guardian, or with a different surname from the accompanying adult.

Please check the latest official requirements for every country in your itinerary and any countries you transit through. If documents are not in English, you may need a certified translation.

South Africa and Children

South Africa has changed its requirements for travelling with children several times over the years, and the rules can depend on the child’s nationality, visa status and family circumstances.

We recommend checking the latest official guidance before travel, especially if a child is travelling with only one parent or with neither parent. Note if the child is a South African citizen, or resident, they will need a full unabridged birth certificate.

The South African Government states that children under 18 must have the correct documentation in line with immigration regulations.

Namibia & Botswana: Children under 18

Botswana and Namibia currently require additional documentation for children under 18. This commonly includes a full or unabridged birth certificate showing both parents’ details, plus additional consent documents if the child is travelling with only one parent, with neither parent, or unaccompanied.

For Botswana, GOV.UK currently advises that travellers entering or leaving the country with a child aged 17 or under must carry an original or certified copy of the child’s full birth certificate, and that an absent parent must provide a signed affidavit giving consent.

For Namibia, official guidance also includes additional documentation for minors travelling with one parent, neither parent or unaccompanied.

Please check the latest rules before travel, as requirements can change and enforcement may vary.