Entry Requirements & Travel Visas
South Africa Entry Requirements
Advice from Friendly Planet
All information provided below pertains to U.S. passport holders only. Non-U.S. Citizens should check with the appropriate foreign consular representative.
You don't need a visa for South Africa if you have a United States passport.
All visitors are required to have two consecutive blank passport pages for each entry into South Africa. Note that some of our packages include multiple entries into South Africa. You may be denied entry if your passport does not have enough blank pages.
Yellow Fever Vaccination Entry Requirements. Proof of Yellow Fever Vaccination is required for travelers arriving to South Africa from a country with risk of Yellow Fever transmission. This includes airport transits or layovers of more than 12 hours in countries with a Yellow Fever risk.
World Health Organization, List of Yellow Fever Endemic Countries
Find a local vaccination center
We suggest you verify this information with the relevant embassy or consulate or (if you're a U.S. passport holder) with the U.S. State Dept.
Zimbabwe Entry Requirements
Advice from Friendly Planet
All information provided below pertains to U.S. passport holders only. Non-U.S. Citizens should check with the appropriate foreign consular representative.
US passport holders must obtain an e-Visa before beginning their journey to Zimbabwe.
Some of our packages offer an excursion from Zimbabwe to Chobe National Park in Botswana (either included in the itinerary, as in Highlights of Southern Africa, or offered as an optional excursion in one of our other packages). If you are visiting Chobe National Park, you'll need to obtain a double-entry Zimbabwe e-Visa.
Click here to apply for a Zimbabwe e-Visa: Official Government Website
Yellow Fever Vaccination Entry Requirements. Proof of Yellow Fever Vaccination is required for travelers arriving to Zimbabwe from a country with risk of Yellow Fever transmission. This includes airport transits or layovers of more than 12 hours in countries with a Yellow Fever risk.
World Health Organization, List of Yellow Fever Endemic Countries
Find a local vaccination center
We suggest you verify this information with the relevant embassy or consulate or (if you're a U.S. passport holder) with the U.S. State Dept.
General Requirements & Guidelines
Advice from Friendly Planet
- In general, you must have a passport to travel abroad, which should be valid for at least six months after your return date. Passports expiring before then should be renewed as soon as possible. Passports contain at least 2 blank pages for each country visited. If your passport does not have this many pages, obtain a new passport as soon as possible.
- If your passport and visa are not in order, airlines and cruise ships may deny boarding, countries may deny entry, and your trip may be disrupted. Travel insurance may not cover such losses.
- Any changes in names or passport information should be reported to us immediately. Airlines and cruise ships may deny boarding if the name on your passport does not match your tickets.
- Minors (age 17 or younger) departing and/or returning to the U.S. without parents or with only one parent may be required by U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) to present a notarized parental consent letter and/or unabridged birth certificate (more information). Many other countries have similar entry requirements, especially for minors traveling with a parent/guardian with a different surname; check with the consulates of all countries you'll be visiting to learn more.