Botswana entry requirements for British passport holders (2026): visa and passport validity
Passport validity (FCDO rule): At least 6 months after the day you arrive
Visa (FCDO): You can visit Botswana without a visa for up to 90 days. Official visa text
Official source: GOV.UK – Botswana travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO) · page last updated 1 June 2026 · checked on 17 October 2026
Whether you need a visa and how long your British passport must be valid to enter Botswana, as published by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), quoted word for word, with a checker for your dates.
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Do I need a visa for Botswana with a British passport?
In short: You can visit Botswana without a visa for up to 90 days.
Our one-line summary of the first FCDO sentence below, which matches a wording we recognise. It applies to British citizen passport holders; read the full official text, which may add conditions.
You can visit Botswana for up to 90 days without a visa.
If you want to work, study or volunteer in Botswana, see the requirements for business, study and employment visas.
Overstaying a visa or a permitted visit can cause a delay to your departure. If you want to extend your stay, contact Botswana’s Department of Immigration.
More from the FCDO visa section (extensions, border checks and other cases)
Travelling with children
You must have an original or certified copy of the full birth certificate of any child aged 17 or under when you enter or leave the country.
Any parent not present must sign an affidavit giving their consent for the child to travel. For more information contact the Botswana High Commission in the UK.
Official source: GOV.UK – Botswana travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO), section “Visa requirements” · page last updated 1 June 2026 · checked on 17 October 2026
Passport validity: official text “Passport validity requirements”
To enter Botswana, your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the date you arrive and at least 3 blank pages.
Make sure you get your passport stamped.
This will record your date and port of entry. Unstamped passports will raise suspicions of illegal entry.
Official source: GOV.UK – Botswana travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO) · page last updated 1 June 2026 · checked on 17 October 2026
Check your passport for Botswana
Schengen rules count your whole trip in the Schengen area: if you visit several Schengen countries, enter the day you first enter the area and the day you leave the last Schengen country.
The check runs in your browser: your dates are not sent anywhere. It applies the FCDO sentence literally (for example “6 months” is counted as the same day of the month 6 months later).
For British passport holders only. These are the rules published by the UK government (FCDO) for British citizens. If you hold another passport, check your own government's advice. The airline and the border officials of the destination decide whether you can travel or enter: this site is information, not legal advice.
Blank pages: the official text says “…at least 3 blank pages…”. The checker does not count pages.
Recent FCDO updates to the entry requirements
- 1 June 2026: “New information about entry requirements for those entering from Ebola-affected regions ('Entry requirements' page).”
- 10 December 2025: “New information about dual nationals returning to the UK (‘Entry requirements’ page).”
- 18 January 2023: “Removal of COVID-19 related entry requirements ('Entry requirements' page).”
- 28 March 2022: “Republished following a review of information in the 'Entry requirements' section.”
- 22 March 2022: “Change of COVID-19 entry restrictions for Botswana with effect from 18 March 2022. ('Coronavirus' and 'Entry requirements' pages)”
Read the full FCDO travel advice for Botswana (safety, visas, health) before you travel.
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Same FCDO rule (6 months after arrival)
and 79 more destinations with the same rule: see all
Passport validity rules for all destinations · Liquids rules by airport · EES and ETIAS status