LAST UPDATED: 5/10/24 – Zimbabwe Entrance Requirements for Visitors

If you are traveling to Zimbabwe from outside of the country, you should be aware of the Zimbabwe entrance requirements for visitors before you start planning your travel. If you do not meet the passport, VISA, or immunization requirements, you could be denied entry into Zimbabwe. This is not something that I would wait until the last minute to take care of as you might not have enough time to sort out any issues at the last minute should you run into them.

To assist you in making sure you meet the necessary requirements to visit Zimbabwe, I have outlined all of the requirements you need to be concerned about in this article.  Furthermore, I have also created the handy checklist I linked below for you to use as a point of reference and to track all of the requirements as you meet them.

Download the Zimbabwe Entrance Requirements Checklist

Zimbabwe Passport Requirements

One of the most important Zimbabwe entrance requirements you will need to consider when planning your trip is the country’s passport requirements. To be allowed into Zimbabwe, not only will your passport need to be valid, but it will need to be valid for at least 6 months after your date of arrival. So, if your passport is set to expire within 6-months of your arrival date, you will need to renew your passport before you travel to Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe VISA Requirements

Depending on your nationality, you may or may not have to obtain a visitor VISA before being allowed to enter Zimbabwe. In addition, depending on the passport you hold, you may be able to apply for a VISA upon arrival. If this option is available to you, it is what I strongly recommend.

For travelers who are ineligible for a VISA upon arrival, you will need to coordinate your VISA before traveling to Zimbabwe. For more information on the type of VISA you will need, please see the information I have included below.

Visa Exempt Countries

If you are a passport holder from one of the following countries, you will not need a VISA to visit Zimbabwe for 3 months or less:

Visa On Arrival Eligible Countries

If you aren’t a passport holder from one of the VISA-exempt countries listed above, you must obtain a VISA before entering Zimbabwe. For those who are from countries that are eligible for a VISA upon arrival, I strongly recommend waiting to get your VISA until you arrive. I have listed the countries that are eligible for VISA upon arrival for you to review below.

Those Who Aren’t Eligible for Visa Upon Arrival

If you aren’t a passport holder of a nation that is VISA-exempt or eligible for VISA upon arrival, you will need to apply for a visitor VISA before traveling to Zimbabwe. For more information on how to apply for a visitor VISA for Zimabwe, please refer to the VISA Guide Page for Zimabwe.

Zimbabwe Immunization Requirements

Important Note: I am not a medical doctor and do not have any medical experience. The information provided in this section is a summary of information that I got from the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States for travel to Zimbabwe. I am providing you this information to help bring awareness of the necessary vaccinations to you, but consultation with my guide should not replace a discussion about your travels with your doctor or a travel medical clinic.

One of the most important, and yet most often overlooked, aspects of travel is the necessary vaccinations that are required or recommended to keep you safe and healthy when you travel. Before you depart for Zimbabwe, you are going to want to make sure that you have all of the proper vaccinations.

Some of these vaccinations, like the Yellow Fever vaccination, are included in the Zimbabwe entrance requirements if you are traveling to Zimbabwe from certain high-risk locations. Other vaccinations, such as a flu shot and the Rabies vaccine, are recommended, but not required. For your convenience, I have summarized the CDC’s recommendations on vaccines and healthcare for travelers visiting Zimbabwe for you to review below.

Recommended Travel Vaccinations for Zimbabwe

There are several vaccinations that the CDC recommends that you get before traveling to Zimbabwe, which I have outlined for you below. If you are traveling to Zimbabwe from a destination where Yellow Fever is common, even if it is only a long layover, then you will be required to show proof of vaccination before you will be allowed into the country. The other vaccinations on this list are not in the Zimbabwe entrance requirements, but they are strongly recommended.

READ MORE:

Rabies Vaccination for Travel – Why I think All Travelers Should Consider It

Routine Vaccinations for Zimbabwe

In addition, to the vaccinations that are recommended for travel to Zimbabwe specifically, there are other routine vaccinations that you should make sure that you are current on before traveling anywhere in this world. For an overview of the routine vaccinations recommended by the CDC, please review the chart that I have included below.

Non-Vaccine Preventable Diseases

In addition to the recommended vaccinations, there are other health precautions that you should take when traveling to Zimbabwe to avoid getting sick. While these health precautions aren’t on the list of Zimbabwe entrance requirements, they are important measures that you can take to make sure you don’t get ill while traveling.

aVOID CONTAMINATED WATER

When traveling, one of the easiest ways to get sick is to come into contact with contaminated water. Several illnesses are found in Zimbabwe that can be spread by either drinking or swimming in contaminated water. Before you depart for your trip, you will want to be aware of the illnesses below. To avoid getting sick, make sure you stick to drinking bottled water and avoid swimming in stagnant pools.

AVOID BUG BITES

Another easy way to get sick while traveling is to be bitten by bugs that carry illnesses. The most common insect that spreads diseases to humans is the mosquito, but ticks and flies can also spread serious illnesses through their bites. To make sure you don’t fall ill from an insect bite while in Zimbabwe, I would recommend bringing insect repellent and mosquito netting with you when you visit and avoid getting bitten by bugs as much as possible.

Avoid Animals

In addition to illnesses that you can contract via contaminated water and bug bites, there are also several severe illnesses that you can contract from animals in Zimbabwe. You should always avoid touching wild or domesticated animals, their waste or body fluids, and where they bed and live. According to the CDC, the following severe illnesses can be contracted from animals in Zimbabwe.

be aware of airborne AND droplet illnesses

Out of all the ways that illnesses can be spread, airborne diseases are the hardest to protect yourself against. After all, you don’t have to physically touch or be touched by an infected person or animal and there isn’t a repellant that you can spray on to avoid catching these illnesses.

This is why it is always important to be observant of those with whom you interact while traveling and make sure you don’t expose yourself to potentially harmful airborne illnesses. According to the CDC, the particular airborne illnesses that you should be aware of while traveling to Zimbabwe are as follows:

Zimbabwe Customs Restrictions

Free Import

When traveling to Zimbabwe, it is important to understand what types of items you are free to bring into the country and which items you will be charged or prohibited from bringing in. According to the VISAHQ.com, website, the following items are considered free-import items, but with limits (as described below).

• 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars, 100 cigarillos, or 500g of tobacco
• 1L of spirits (over 25% volume of alcohol) or 2L of lighter alcohol beverages (up to 25% volume of alcohol)
• Non-commercial amounts of gifts and other items for personal use

Prohibited Items

Before you will be allowed into Zimbabwe, you will also need to clear customs to be sure you aren’t carrying any prohibited items with you. For instance, travelers are strictly prohibited from bringing the following items into Zimbabwe:

• Narcotics
• Pornography (please consider the term as used under the Islamic law)
• Counterfeit items
• Cultural artifacts and other objects of cultural importance
• Henna
• Palm tree and any products thereof
• Explosive material

Controlled Items

In addition to these prohibited items, the government of Zimbabwe has placed limits on the quantity of other items that can be brought into the country. If you plan to travel with any of the following items when visiting Zimbabwe, you will want to plan accordingly so that you do not violate the Zimbabwe entrance requirements:

• Live animals – health certificate required along with complete and valid inoculations. Contact the nearest embassy to obtain permission.
• Endangered species and any products or parts thereof as outlined by CITES may be brought in only with CITES permission.
• Medication
• Hunting weapons are permissible only with authorization obtainable from the Ministry of Interior. Contact the nearest embassy for more information (see Contact tab).

Zimbabwe Currency Restrictions

The final aspect of the Zimbabwe entrance requirements that you will want to make sure you comply with when traveling to Zimbabwe is the amount of currency you plan on bringing to the country. When visiting Zimbabwe, like all countries, you can’t just bring any amount of currency that you want into the country or leave with any amount of currency when visiting. According to the US State Department website, the government of Zimbabwe has the following currency limits and regulations in place:

• There are no currency restrictions on entry.
• There is a $2,000 currency restriction on exit unless more is declared upon entry.

IMPORTANT NOTE: There is currently a currency shortage in Zimbabwe, so make sure you have small denominations of currency with you when you visit as getting change back on purchases may not be possible. After years of hyperinflation, the country has gone back to using the US dollar as its currency, but there are limits to how much you can withdraw from banks and ATMs per day. Very few places accept international credit cards, so I would STRONGLY suggest pre-paying for as much of your travel (hotels, tours, etc..) ahead of time so that you can reserve your cash for other expenses and souvenirs.

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