Visas
Zambian visa policy is best summarized as confusing: there is a bewildering thicket of rules on who needs visas, whether visas can be obtained on arrival, and how much they cost. Local border posts also apply their own interpretations. Due to recent political turbulence in Zimbabwe, Zambia has been cashing in on the unexpected boom in its tourism industry, with visa fees hiked and the previous visa waiver program canceled: you’re now expected to pay in cash on arrival at the immigration kiosks.
Since 2014, it has been possible to pay by credit card at Lusaka International (Kenneth Kaunda) Airport.
The upside is that once customs has figured out what category you are in, actually obtaining the visa is rarely a problem and a rule of thumb is that most Western visitors can get visas on arrival. Visa-free entry is possible for some nationalities, including Hong Kong, Ireland, Malaysia, Singapore, Zimbabwe and South Africa. See the immigration department’s web-site [2][3] for the full list of visa-exempt nationalities. Current visa prices are US$50 for a single-entry and US$80 for a multiple-entry visa for all nationalities and is valid for 3 months; US passport holders can only apply for a multiple-entry visa, but it is then valid for 3 years.
A day entry visa is available to all nationalities at US$20, valid 24 hours
Transit visas carry the same cost as a single-entry visa, valid 7 days
Do check with the nearest Zambian embassy for the latest information; the Zambian Embassy to the US has some information on their homepage [4] and getting the visa before arrival will reduce the uncertainty factor.
If you require a visa to enter Zambia, you might be able to apply for one at a British embassy, high commission or consulate in the country where you legally reside if there is no Zambian diplomatic post. For example, the British embassies in Al Khobar, Amman, Belgrade, Budapest, Damascus, Guatemala City, Helsinki, Jakarta, Jeddah, Kiev, Prague, Pristina, Rabat, Riga, Riyadh, Rome, Sofia, Tallinn, Vienna, Warsaw and Zagreb accept Zambian visa applications (this list is not exhaustive). British diplomatic posts charge £50 to process a Zambian visa application and an extra £70 if the authorities in Zambia require the visa application to be referred to them. The authorities in Zambia can also decide to charge an additional fee if they correspond with you directly.
Lusaka Airport Customs and Immigration is unprepared to deal with tourists. There are four lanes, segmented by: Zambian passport holders; Residents; Tourists; and Diplomats. Tellingly, the lane for tourists is sometimes unstaffed. Although there are many immigration officers present the tourist lane is often unstaffed. Be prepared for all other lanes to empty before being processed.
By plane
Zambia’s main international gateway is Lusaka; gone are the days when getting to Zambia meant flying via Johannesburg, Lusaka is fast becoming something of a regional hub. KLM now fly direct from Amsterdam and Emirates are offering low cost connections via it’s middle east base alongside the existing British Airways service and a much expanded Ethiopian network. Also Air Namibia also now offer low cost connections from Cape Town via Windhoek. British Airways fly to Livingstone from Johannesburg with Pro-Flight, a local operator, connecting Lusaka with Livingstone, near spectacular Victoria Falls, and Mfuwe, near South Luangwa National Park, and the other regional destinations.
Lusaka remains well-served by flights from Johannesburg, Cairo, Dubai, Nairobi, Lilongwe, Addis Ababa, and London. British Airways remains the main intercontinental carrier that flies to Lusaka from Europe, with direct flights from London three times a week. South African Airways fly to Lusaka and Livingstone from Johannesburg with multiple flights per day. Flights to Lusaka are more plentiful and EgyptAir from Cairo, Kenya Airways from Nairobi and Ethiopian Airlines from Addis and Air Namibia from Windhoek fly daily.
(NB: in Johannesburg the airlines have no control over baggage in transit and the airport’s baggage concessionnaire is exempt from responsibility by contract, so lost and especially pilfered baggage can be an issue.)
Livingstone International Airport has daily direct flights from Johannesburg with the carriers: South African Airways, British Airways and Kulula. Direct flights from Nelspruit/Kruger are available on Airlink Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Travelers can also fly to Ndola without connecting through Lusaka International Airport using South African Airways which has a daily flight from Jo’burg to Ndola. Ndola is the capital of the Copperbelt province and has an international airport which services such regional airlines as Kenya Airways and the aforementioned South African Airways.
Local carriers have not fared well for various reasons with Zambian Airways, Zambia Airlines and Zambezi airlines all not trading as of mid 2013.