Zambia 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): Read the official visa text below
Official source: GOV.UK – Zambia 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 Zambia, as published by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), quoted word for word, with a checker for your dates.
Other passports: Canadian passport · Australian passport · Italian citizens: documenti per italiani
Driving in Zambia, do you need an international driving permit? UK licence
Do I need a visa for Zambia with a British passport?
We quote the FCDO text word for word and do not summarise it: its first sentence has conditions or a wording we do not turn into a one-line answer.
British passport holders do not need a visa to enter Zambia. You must be able to show:
- valid return or onward tickets
- enough money for your stay
Tourists may remain in Zambia for a total of 90 days in any 12 month period. For business visitors the maximum stay in Zambia over a 12 month period is 30 days.
For further information, email the Zambian High Commission at info@zambiahc.org.uk or contact the Zambian Department of Immigration.
More from the FCDO visa section (extensions, border checks and other cases)
KAZA UNIVISA
The KAZA UNIVISA, for use in the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, is valid for unlimited travel between Zambia and Zimbabwe and for day trips to Botswana. It costs 50 US dollars and is valid for 30 days.
You can apply online in advance, or get the visa on arrival if you are arriving at:
- Kenneth Kaunda International Airport, Lusaka
- Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport, Livingstone
- by land at Livingstone, Victoria Falls (Zambia-Zimbabwe border)
- by land at Kazungula (Zambia-Botswana border)
Official source: GOV.UK – Zambia 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 Zambia, your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the date you arrive. It must have at least 2 blank pages for entry stamping.
Make sure you get your passport stamped.
Official source: GOV.UK – Zambia travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO) · page last updated 1 June 2026 · checked on 17 October 2026
Check your passport for Zambia
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 2 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).”
- 25 April 2024: “Information on the fact that tourists may remain in Zambia for a total of 90 days in any 12 month period ('Entry requirements' page).”
- 2 February 2024: “Information that British passport holders do not need a visa to enter Zambia ('Entry requirements' page).”
- 26 May 2023: “Updated information on duration of visit and business visit visas (‘Entry requirements’ page), removal of references to Cholera outbreaks (‘Summary’ and ‘Health’ pages), updated HIV prevalence statistics (‘Health’ page), updated details on Covid-19 related restrictions (‘Coronavirus’ page) and new wording on Air Safety (‘Safety and security’ page).”
Read the full FCDO travel advice for Zambia (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
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