For most passports, a visa is required. Please check with local authorities for details. Two blank passport pages are required when travelling to Southern Africa. Check the number of days given on arrival at the immigration desk as there are steep fines for overstaying the number of days given. Departure tax is dependent upon which airline you are travelling with.
Visas Not Required: Foreigners from most Commonwealth and European Union countries, as well as the United States, are not required to obtain visas for entering Botswana, except in cases where the Minister of Labour and Home Affairs has directed otherwise.
Visas Required: Please visit www.botswanaembassy.org for a full list of nationalities requiring visas for entry into Botswana. Please note this information serves as a guide only. Travellers should check for visa requirements pertaining to their citizenship, as entry requirements can vary. Visas are to be obtained in advance and cannot be issued at port of entry.
Guests travelling to Botswana need to be aware that parents travelling with children would now be requested to provide the following information for all travelling children. Any children under the age of 18 will not be allowed to enter the country without these documents.
Child and both parents:
Child and one parent, parent must produce:
Child and guardian, guardian must produce:
GMT + 2 hours
The official languages are English and Setswana.
Botswana straddles the Tropic of Capricorn and experiences extremes in temperatures. Days are normally clear, warm and sunny while the nights range from cool to cold. Botswana is primarily a dry country, but a summer rainy season lasts from November to March. Average annual rainfall is around 500mm. During the summer, days are generally sunny with short, abrupt rainstorms which usually clear within hours. Average temperatures during this period range between 20°C and 38°C. From late May to August, rain is rare anywhere in the country. During this dry season temperatures can plummet as low as 0°C at night and the average maximum temperature is around 27°C.
There will be little access to ATMs or banks while on safari. We suggest guests travel with cash in small denominations for tipping. Accepted currencies are USD, GBP, Euro and Pula - change will be given in the local currency. All cash should be locked in the safes, or safe bags, provided. Sanctuary Retreats' lodges and camps in Botswana accepts credit cards, apart from Diners and American Express.
Tipping is not obligatory but general suggestions are as follows:
$15 per guest per day for the guide and $15 per guest per day for the rest of the staff.
