Zimbabwe 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 need a visa to visit Zimbabwe. Official visa text
Official source: GOV.UK – Zimbabwe travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO) · page last updated 15 July 2026 · checked on 17 October 2026
Whether you need a visa and how long your British passport must be valid to enter Zimbabwe, 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 Zimbabwe, do you need an international driving permit? UK licence
Do I need a visa for Zimbabwe with a British passport?
In short: You need a visa to visit Zimbabwe.
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 must have a visa to visit Zimbabwe. Most visitors get their visa on arrival.
Applying for a visa
The visa on arrival is usually granted for 30 days. Take enough US dollars with you in small notes to pay for your visa. See information on visa fees from the Zimbabwean Embassy.
It is possible to apply for an e-visa before you travel, with options for single entry or double entry visas at different prices.
You can also use the KAZA Univisa in Zimbabwe. It is valid for travel between Zimbabwe and Zambia and for day trips into Botswana. The KAZA Univisa is available at Harare, Bulawayo and Victoria Falls airports and at the land borders at Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe-Zambia border) and Kazungula (Zimbabwe-Botswana border). It costs 50 US dollars and is valid for 30 days.
It is no longer possible to get a visa from the Zimbabwean Embassy in London.
To extend or renew visas or permits, go in person to the Government of Zimbabwe Immigration Department.
To stay longer or to work or study, or for business travel, you must meet the Zimbabwean government’s entry requirements. You must have a temporary work permit if you’re volunteering or doing missionary work.
More from the FCDO visa section (extensions, border checks and other cases)
Zimbabwean temporary travel documents
Zimbabwean temporary travel documents (TTDs) are not valid for re-entry to the UK. You could be stranded in Zimbabwe if you travel using this document.
Official source: GOV.UK – Zimbabwe travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO), section “Visa requirements” · page last updated 15 July 2026 · checked on 17 October 2026
Passport validity: official text “Passport validity requirements”
To enter Zimbabwe, your passport must have:
- an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the date you arrive
- 3 blank pages, in case you need to enter Zimbabwe and exit through one of the neighbouring countries or if you need to leave at short notice
Official source: GOV.UK – Zimbabwe travel advice, Entry requirements (FCDO) · page last updated 15 July 2026 · checked on 17 October 2026
Check your passport for Zimbabwe
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 “…3 blank pages…”. The checker does not count pages.
Recent FCDO updates to the entry requirements
- 10 December 2025: “New information about dual nationals returning to the UK (‘Entry requirements’ page).”
- 7 October 2024: “Updated information about taking money into and out of Zimbabwe ('Entry requirements' page)”
- 3 April 2024: “Updated information on COVID-19 measures, taking photographs in secure areas and road travel (‘Entry requirements’ and ‘Safety and security’ pages).”
- 15 June 2023: “Information on the removal of COVID-19 measures at points of entry and of the requirement to wear masks at public gatherings ('Coronavirus' and 'Entry requirements’ pages).”
- 15 February 2023: “Updated information on visas, health and money (‘Entry requirements’, ‘Health’ and ‘Money’ pages).”
Read the full FCDO travel advice for Zimbabwe (safety, visas, health) before you travel.
Spotted a change? Tell us.
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