Situated in Southern Africa, Botswana is one of the stable countries in Africa. It is a landlocked country, sharing borders with South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. With its 2.3 million population, it is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world. Although it is considered a faraway destination for many people, it witnesses much attention from tourists. With its extraordinarily rich nature, ecosystems, and landscapes, it is a true gem of Africa. Speaking of gems, the country possesses the biggest diamond reserves globally, enabling it to take its share from a lucrative business. There are many things to see and explore in Bostwana. Firstly, it is Africa, and the country owns the largest areas of the continent's wilderness. Okavango Delta is exceptional in this context. Remaining untouched, this wilderness is one of the most beautiful of its kind. Within the vast areas of Okavango, you will find palm-fringed channels, lagoons that protect the rarest flora, and living creatures. If you plan to visit Africa, it is most likely that one of your motives will be to see elephants, giants of the world. Chobe National Park is home to more than 10000 elephants, and it is accessible for visitors. You will surely admire these colossal and elegant creatures. If we look at the history of the country, we will see unprecedented changes. Once it was one of the poorest countries with a GDP of around 70 USD (per capita), it now enjoys perks that come with an upper-middle-income economy. To give you a better idea, GDP per capita per year is now around 8000 USD. You might be wondering how the country reversed the situation like that. Botswana owes its success to its continuous multi-party democracy. Thanks to that, the country managed to keep corruption at lower levels. However, democracy alone could not has such an effect. Its rich natural resources and lucrative safari tourism helped to boost economic development. With its successful history (at least last 20 years), Botswana inspires people with ambition. Possibilities whet businessmen' appetites. More and more people consider investing in this country. Acknowledging progress, we decided to shed light on the Botswana investment visa. For the rest of the article, we will talk about Botswana visa application, requirements, etc. People interested in Botswana should first ask themselves, "do I need a visa for Botswana?" The next paragraph will be helpful to find an answer to this question.
Botswana Visa Policy
If we looked at the Botswana visa policy, we would see some differences. You will find Botswana visa free countries where citizens do not need a visa to visit the country. What countries are visa-free? The list is so long to put in this article. However, you can check the eligibility of your nationality in the "Services" section. Since we are familiar with Botswana visa free countries, we can move on to visa requirements and applications after finding out the differences between investment visas and other similar visa types.
Botswana Investment Visa vs Business Visa
You might get confused after hearing other visa names. Indeed they can be difficult to distinguish. However, some nuances help us to understand the differences between these visas. First is that Investment visas are given to people who are in higher positions and have business connections in the country. Apart from that, they are granted to those who invest in the country. On the other hand, a business visa can be granted to prospective investors, entrepreneurs, or traders in the case of having a meeting, consulting (scientific, educational, professional, or business), or negotiations. Another major difference between the two is that an Investment visa allows you to enter and remain in the country for up to 5 years, while a business visa validity is less than 3 months. You can extend your visa if you have sufficient reasons. However, the validity of a business visa can only be extended in some exceptional and force-major cases. Bear in mind that extending visas is completed at the Migration Department of Botswana. These are major differences between the two. There can be some minor differences such as additional required documents, etc.
Botswana Visa Requirements
The main indicators for visas are travel reasons. As you might guess, these reasons will define specific requirements for a particular visa. However, some documents and requirements are almost universal for every Bostwana visa type, which means they are required for each visa type. These Botswana visa requirements are: • Botswana visa application form. Note that it should be filled out in English, signed, and dated by the person who applies for the visa. • Passport of the applicant. Passport should have 6 months of validity starting from the date of departure from the country. It should be issued in the last 10 years, not more than that, and have one or two blank pages for issuing a visa. • Copy of national ID card of the person. It should be valid for 6 months after leaving Botswana. • The applicant should present two photos that are taken in the last 6 months. Photos should cover the face, which should take up 70-80 per cent of the whole photo. It should be taken with a white background and uniform. The size of the photos should be 3x4 cm. • A cover letter demonstrating your reasons for the travel. • A flight itinerary that includes accommodation reservations along with detailed information on addresses in Botswana. • Proof indicating the applicant has enough financial meaning for the travel. He or she can use cash, credit card, bank statement, etc. • A letter from the local employer. These letters will give information on the applicant's name, address, work position, dates, timeframes, description of the position, etc. These documents are most likely to be asked for many visa types for Botswana. For a Botswana investment visa, on the other hand, you will be asked some additional documents given below: • Detailed information on scheduled meetings that are planned to undertake in Botswana. • Certificate of incorporation, which can be a trade license, share certificate, Directors' list, etc. To apply for Botswana visa successfully, you will need to do more than that. You will be charged with Botswana visa fee. It depends on factors like which type of entry he or she will use, which country the applicant applies from, etc. Since we are interested in investment visas, you might be asking, "how much is Botswana visa for investment ?" Yet again, fees can vary. If it is multiple visas for up to 6 months, the price will be around 100 USD; for up to 5 years, the Botswana visa fee can be as high as 250 USD. How long does it take to get a visa for Botswana? Well, it takes a bit longer than other types of visas. To be more precise, you will need to wait about 14-21 days to get your visa.
How to apply for Botswana visa?
Getting a visa for Botswana can be difficult if you are not familiar with the procedures. Getting the right information is therefore of uppermost importance. We recommend you get the latest information from the embassies of Botswana if you would like to know how to apply for Botswana visa. You will need to contact them for Botswana visa application anyway, so contact the local embassy. If there is none, then the nearest to your country Botswanian embassy to schedule an appointment. The next step will be to get there on time and present your required documents, and again, you better inquiry the embassy about documents so that you do not face a problem regarding documents. Once you present your documents and fill out the Botswana visa application form, your application will be processed. After 14-21 days, you will be notified about your visa status. However, it is advised to check your status by contacting the embassy 7 days after you apply for Botswana visa. If the outcome of the application is successful, you will get a visa that will allow you to stay in Botswana for up 6 months/5 years. To sum up, Botswana is a great place to extend your business, as its economy has shown positive growth for the last few years. With its relatively transparent visa policy, you might not face any problem getting an investment visa. If you yet find the procedure too much or just do not want to tire yourself with such procedures, you can handle your workflow regarding the visa to the team of Pickvisa.
