Zimbabwe has some of the finest national parks in Africa, with a real remote and unspoilt feel to them, these national parks showcase some of Africa’s best wildlife viewing. You can relax on the shores of Lake Kariba, hike the slopes of the Eastern Highlands or sit in the secret hides found in Hwange National Park, watch herds of buffalo and elephants congregate around waterholes and enjoy the highest quality in guided safaris that Zimbabwe has to offer.
You can also visit one of the seven wonders in the world here, Victoria Falls, one of the greatest waterfalls in the world whose thrashing waters create a curtain almost twice the size of Niagara Falls with a width of 1,708 metres. The falls can be found on the Zambezi river, the fourth longest river in Africa, it serves as the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, through the narrow steadily deepening Batoka Gorge, providing a fantastic playground for white-water rafting, kayaking, river boarding and jet boating.
Zimbabwe is one of the more underrated countries in Africa, with a plethora of hidden gems to be explored. The country is full of natural beauty and friendly locals who make the trip there so much more special
Most travellers who wish to visit the natural beauty that Zimbabwe has to offer will have to apply for a Zimbabwe visa, a process fortunately made much easier by the Zimbabwean government in recent years. This information piece tells you everything you need to know about visa requirements for visiting Zimbabwe.
It is important that you familiarise yourself with these legal requirements of entry before your visit since in most cases, you will have to obtain a Zimbabwe visa prior to your travels.
Visa requirements are governed by the Zimbabwean Embassy or Consulate located in the area you reside and can be found through visiting the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Zimbabwe and may be subject to change without prior notice.
WHAT IS A VISA?
A visa is issued to international travellers visiting Zimbabwe for a short stay on a temporary basis for tourism, business, study or medical reasons. Visas are normally issued for a maximum 30 or 90 days, depending on your country of residence.
A valid visa allows you to enter the country through a port of entry and stay in the country for the period specified in your visa. Note that you are restricted to the activity or reason stated in your application, for example, if you applied for a visa for a holiday or family visit, you are not allowed to work in the country during your stay.
VISA REQUIREMENTS FOR VISITING ZIMBABWE
The Zimbabwe tourist visa is issued for short-term purposes – up to 90 days, you will need a passport valid for at least six more months from the date of entry and with at least three blank pages for entry and exit stamps
Visitors holding passports from countries that are classified as ‘exempt’ do not need to apply for a visa prior to arriving in Zimbabwe. Instead, they are issued with a short-stay visa at the point of entry for a period of time relevant to the status of the visitor’s country.
Applying for a Zimbabwe visa has never been easier since they launched their e-visa system, now you can apply online instead of having to go directly to the embassy/diplomatic mission.
The time it takes to process a Zimbabwe visa depends on the method of application. If applied for on arrival, a visitor will receive it (or have it rejected) right there. If applying through an embassy or consulate, the processing time also depends on the specific office. If applying for an e-visa then it usually takes up to 2 days processing time.
The duration of a Zimbabwe visa depends on the number of entries it allows. Zimbabwe visas and e-visas are valid for 90 days from the date of issue. They come in single entry, double entry or multiple entry visas and the holder may remain in Zimbabwe for up to 90 days.
A traveller in transit through Zimbabwe must obtain a transit visa, you can get this through the online e-visa application, you will just have to add your departure ticket with your application
COUNTRIES EXEMPTED AND COUNTRIES THAT NEED VISAS
Citizens of the following countries can visit Uganda without a visa:
Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Cayman Islands, Congo (DRC), Cyprus, Fiji, Ghana, Grenada, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Leeward Islands, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malta, Mauritius, Montserrat, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Western Samoa, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and The Grenadines, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turk and Caicos Islands, Malaysia, Malawi, Maldives, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia and Tuvalu.
Countries whose Nationals must obtain a visa prior to arrival; this includes being eligible for an e-visa: 
Afghanistan, Anguilla, Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central Africa Republic, Chad, China (Non tour), Colombia, Conakry, Congo (Brazzaville), Cote d’Voire (Ivory Coast), Djibouti Republic, Eritrea, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Iraq, Jordan, Korea (DPRK), Kosovo, Laos, Lebanon, Mali, Mauritania, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Tunisia, Liberia, Libya, Vietnam and Yemen Republic.
Nationals of most other countries can obtain a Zimbabwe visa on arrival.
DIFFERENT KINDS OF VISAS
Visas can be issued as transit visas, normal tourist visas or work and/or business visas. The following is a short description, clarifying the difference between these kinds of visas:
A transit visa is a document showing that a traveller has permission to pass through Zimbabwe but not to stay there. Transit visas often come up when a traveller’s itinerary includes a layover in a certain country on the way to their final destination.
The traveller often won’t leave the airport, but still needs permission to be there during the layover.
Visa rules are complex and may vary due to factors including the country you’re visiting, which country you’re a citizen of and how long you will spend in transit in a country.
For example, if a layover is less than 24 hours, and the traveller never leaves the airport, a transit visa may not be needed in some countries while others still require it. A basic rule of thumb is that if the country you’re traveling through does not require citizens of your country to have a visa to visit for a longer period, it won’t require you to have a visa to transit through.
However, if the country you’re traveling through does require citizens of your country to have a visa to visit for a longer period, it may or may not require you to obtain a visa to transit through.
While some countries allow you to obtain a visa upon arrival, others require that you apply for and receive the visa before you arrive in the country.
Tourist or travel visas allow the bearer to enter Zimbabwe for touristic and leisure purposes only and stay for a predetermined amount of time. These visas do not entitle the holder to work or engage in any business activities in Zimbabwe.
A business visa generally permits a traveller to engage in normal business-related activities in Zimbabwe. Business visas are usually harder to get, since you will need an official business letter of invitation from your foreign business partner or from a professional organisation.
Business visas are in general also more expensive.
When applying for a Zimbabwe visa, you need to know which one to apply for according to your reason for traveling to Zimbabwe. There are four types of visas.
Holiday Visa – is issued to foreigners entering Zimbabwe temporarily for tourism, sightseeing, to visit family and friends or other private purposes.
Business Visa – is issued to foreigners traveling to Zimbabwe for business related purposes such as consultancy or to offer services. It may be granted for a period 30 (thirty) days and is non-renewable.
A Conference Visa – is issued to foreigners travelling to Zimbabwe for purposes of attending a Conference, Seminar or Workshop. It may be granted for a period of 30 (thirty) days and is non-renewable.
A transit visa – is issued to visitors traveling to another country who will have a brief layover in Zimbabwe when the only reason for entering Zimbabwe is to transit. It is non-renewable.
HOW AND WHERE TO APPLY FOR VISAS WHEN VISITING ZIMBABWE
Zimbabwe has launched their e-visa system online and it is really easy to apply, all you have to do is log onto their website https://www.evisa.gov.zw/home and follow these simple steps:
If you do not have an account on their platform, you will be required to register for one or else proceed to login with your existing account.
Proceed to the application process, step by step until you have completed the process. You will be required to attach some required documents.
Once your application has been processed you will receive notification of your result. A Visa letter will be provided for you on their platform which you will need to print out and bring with.
If you wish to apply for a Zimbabwe visa directly through the embassy/diplomatic mission, you will have to make an appointment, from there, depending on which country’s embassy or diplomatic mission you use, you might be required to give biometric scans of your finger prints or facial features. This is a quick, discreet and non-intrusive process that captures a facial image with a digital camera and a 10-digit fingerprint scan with a digital finger scanner and is done at the embassy or diplomatic mission.
You will need to complete a Zimbabwe visa application form, obtainable from the embassy/diplomatic mission offices.
Gather all the required documents, pay the visa fee and then submit the documents and application at the embassy/diplomatic mission. Some offices require you to submit the documents in person, whereas others also allow submissions through the mail.
DOCUMENTS NEEDED FOR APPLICATION FOR VISA
When you apply for a Zimbabwe visa, you need the following documents to support your application: (Note that the exact required documents depend on the purpose of your travel as well as the embassy or consulate in which you apply).
COST OF A ZIMBABWE VISA
Fees may vary depending on the consulate or embassy, therefore check with them first, However, here is an example of the last known fees
The total cost for a Zimbabwe e-visa USD 95.00
Consulate Fees:
Single Entry    USD 30
Double Entry  USD 45
Multiple Entry USD 55
VACCINES NEEDED WHEN VISITING ZIMBABWE
A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required if you are travelling from or transiting through a country with risk of yellow fever transmission.
A yellow fever certificate is valid 10 days after the vaccination is administered, making it important to get the vaccination in time before leaving for Zimbabwe. You may be refused entry if you leave it too late and arrive in Zimbabwe within the 10-day waiting period.
The CDC and WHO recommend the following vaccinations for Zimbabwe: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, cholera, yellow fever, rabies, meningitis, polio, measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis), chickenpox, shingles, pneumonia and influenza
Zimbabwe is also known to have outbreaks of Malaria, so it is recommended that you take prescription medicine before, during, and after your trip to prevent malaria.
OTHER SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS WHEN VISITING ZIMBABWE
VISITING ZIMBABWE WITH MINORS
If you are travelling to Zimbabwe with a minor, please take note of the additional documents you will need per child:
There must be a completed visa application for each child and certified copy of their birth certificate.
If the child is only traveling with one parent, a letter of consent or affidavit from the other parent consenting to such travel is required.
If the child is traveling alone then a letter of consent or affidavit from both parents consenting to such travel is required.
WHAT HAPPENS IF ONE OVERSTAYS ON A VISA IN ZIMBABWE
Foreign visitors who overstay on a visa are normally declared ‘undesirable persons’ and may incur a ban from Zimbabwe for a period, which prevents them from applying for a visa and re-entering Zimbabwe for a prescribed period of time.
You may also be charged a fine for each day that you overstay on your visa.
There may even be legal action taken against you, it is highly recommended that you extend your visa well in advance.
Individuals who have been affected by the overstay visa regulations of a country can usually lodge a visa overstay appeal.
ENJOY A SAFE HOLIDAY IN ZIMBABWE WITH A REPUTABLE TOUR OPERATOR
MoAfrika Tours is a leading tour operator in South Africa that offers an outstanding selection of tours to Zimbabwe. We have a close association with the most reputable tour operators in Zimbabwe who make safety a priority.