Besides having colorful wildlife, Zimbabwe is famous for its historical background. Ancient ruins, rock arts, and other cultural and historical values of the country attract people to this marvelous place. Plenty of people want to travel to Zimbabwe, but they don't know where to start. Considering this, we decided to talk about the procedure of visa to Zimbabwe, more specifically Zimbabwe E-visa. In this blog, you will learn: the visa charge, how long does it take, what conditions you should fit in, how many days you can stay, who is eligible for E-visa, what are the visa-waiver countries, etc.
The Visa Policy of Zimbabwe
We will talk about E-visa, but first, let's get some general information about the visa policy of the country. Today, Zimbabwe has diplomatic relations with over 100 countries of the world. Thousands of people from these countries travel to Zimbabwe per year. For example, 2.4 million people visited the country in 2019. There was a decrease in the number of tourists in 2020. As you can guess, the reason was the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although some people can travel without a visa, others must apply for a visa that matches the purpose of the visit. The country offers various visa types, such as E-Visa, Zimbabwe KAZA UNIVISA, Zimbabwe Visa on Arrival, Zimbabwe Residence Permit. Some of these categories are divided into subcategories depending on the purpose of the visit. Visa procedures and requirements may vary related to these differences.
Zimbabwe E-visa
Several years ago, the government of Zimbabwe launched an E-visa program. It allows you to visit the country for temporary reasons, such as tourism, visiting someone, etc. What is the difference between E-visa and a standard visa? First of all, differing from the standard type, you can apply for a visa without leaving your house and waiting in a queue for hours. Secondly, it shorts the visa processing time.
Holding a visa will let you stay in the country for a maximum of 90 days. If you want to stay for more than this duration, you can apply for another visa type or extend your current visa. There are many examples who travel for tourism but decide to stay for a long time after several weeks.
Can everyone apply for an E-visa? Unfortunately, not all nationalities are available for E-visa. The list may extend in the future, but today, there are 56 countries on the list. Some of them are:
- Afghanistan
- Burkina Faso
- The Central African Republic
- Congo Republic
- North Korea
- Kosovo
- Liberia
- Libya
- Qatar
- Philippines
- Oman
- Guinea-Bissau
- Saudi Arabia
- Sierra Leone
- Timor-Leste (East Timor)
- Djibouti Republic
- North Macedonia
The application steps
Zimbabwe visa application consists of several steps. First of all, you should enter the official website and register. It is the easiest part of the application. You will just fill in the needed blanks and provide some basic information about yourself. After that, you will upload the required documents, which you will find in the following section. For the second part, you will need scanned versions of your documents. That is why open one folder on your computer and put all documents in that folder. Finally, you will pay the visa charge and wait for processing. You will receive the visa by email. As you see, there are just several steps which you can finish in a few minutes.
Required documents
During the Zimbabwe visa application, you will need to provide some documents and details. If you have all the documents on the list, this part will be a piece of cake for you. That is why be sure that you have all of them several days before the application because getting the missing papers may last long, and it may ruin your voyage plans. Everyone must be very attentive in this part. When we search the reason for visa rejections, we can see the main reason is fake or missing documents. If you are not able to provide any document for some reason, get in touch with the embassy and inform them about the problem. They will probably help you to solve the issue. To obtain a visa to Zimbabwe, you will need to present the following documents:
- Passport. The provided passport must fit the requirements: not older than ten years, having at least 2-3 blank pages, valid at least six months beyond the departure date, and signed by the barrier.
- Photo. The downloaded photo by the applicant must be in JPG or PNG format, 10 KB- 1 MB size, equal width and height, white background, the face must be in the center of the photo. Also, try to avoid wearing white clothes while taking a picture to eliminate possible problems.
- Copy of Visa and Residency permit. Such as in a passport, both of them must have at least 180 days of validity beyond the date of your departure.
- Photocopies. You will present a copy of the main page and copies of previous visas if you have any.
- Flight ticket for going back
- The document shows where you will stay in a hotel, hostel, or friend's house. In all cases, you should mention the address details (city, street, zip code, contact information, and so on)
- The document that shows the purpose of the visit
- Some supportive documents can be required related to the purpose of the visit. If you make your visit for tourism purposes (sightseeing, visiting family and friends), you will need a Holiday Visa. Moreover, you need proper documents for business-related visits, attending the conference (you can stay a maximum of a month and can't extend it). Also, all foreign-registered vehicles (cars, trucks, busses) must have a transit document and pay the charge. It is 10 USD per 100km, and foreigners must pay it at the port of entry.
Besides the above-mentioned documents, which you will download during the application, you will need to have a printed version of the E-visa and travel itinerary after arriving.
How much does it cost to get a visa for Zimbabwe?
One of the first things that people ask about the visa for Zimbabwe is: how much does it cost to get a visa for Zimbabwe? It is understandable because we must consider the monetary issues before traveling to any country around the world. Thankfully Zimbabwe visa costs are not so high. Depending on the subcategory of applied E-visa, you will pay something around 30-55 USD. Also, there can be slight differences related to nationality. Zimbabwe visa costs for other visa types are:
- KAZA UNIVISA: 30-50 USD (may vary related to nationality)
- Visa on Arrival: 35 USD (may vary related to nationality)
- Residence permit: 200-1000 USD (there are additional fees, too)
How long does it take to get a visa from Zimbabwe?
Most people agree that the worst part of a visa application is waiting. Even sometimes, it may last several weeks. How long does it take to get a visa from Zimbabwe? It is great that in E-visa you will not face such kind of problems. After providing all documents and paying the visa fee, the Zimbabwe e visa processing time will last for several days. You will receive your visa by email in a few days. Generally, Zimbabwe e visa processing time lasts for two days, but depending on some factors, it may last longer. For example, processing for a Residency permit lasts for a maximum of 42 days.
Zimbabwe visa free countries
Do I need a visa to visit Zimbabwe? All the steps mentioned above are for people who are not eligible for the visa-waiver program. So, those people must undergo the visa process for traveling to Zimbabwe. On the other hand, visa-waiver nationalities can visit the country freely without undergoing any visa application procedures. Today, there are 41 countries on the Zimbabwe visa free countries list:
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- DR Congo
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Solomon Islands
- South Africa
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tuvalu
You can get the complete list of visa-free countries and get other details about the E-visa from the 'Services' of our website. There you will choose your origin and the country which you want to visit (Zimbabwe in this case).
Things to know before travel
Now you have general knowledge about the visa policy and E-visa of Zimbabwe. So, you can pay attention to other details. When you visit any country around the world, you should make a little survey to learn useful information about the country. It can be local traditions, what to do and not to do in public, and so on because the attitude which is okay in your country can be disrespectful in Zimbabwe. Also, you should search the weather conditions, where to stay, what to eat, etc. The country has two seasons, rainy and dry. Generally, the temperature is quite friendly in the country during the dry season, 28 degrees. It will be a little colder in the rainy season, which lasts from November till March. All these details will help you during the voyage.
