Zambia waives visa requirements for 53 countries, effective January 2025

The Zambian government has officially waived visa requirements for nationals of 53 countries under Statutory Instrument Number 78 of 2024, with the changes set to take effect on January 1, 2025.

Home Affairs and Internal Security Minister, Jack Mwiimbu, announced the decision during a media briefing in Lusaka on Wednesday, stating that the initiative aimed to position Zambia as an attractive destination for tourism, business, trade, and investment.

The latest visa waiver brings the total number of countries exempted from visa requirements to 167.

“As emphasized in Zambia’s migration policy, well-managed migration is crucial for economic development,” Mwiimbu said.

He explained that the visa waiver would facilitate easier access to Zambia, unlocking economic opportunities in tourism, trade, and employment creation.

While emphasizing government’s commitment to welcoming international travelers, Mwiimbu underscored the need to maintain national security.

To this end, the Department of Immigration plans to integrate an advanced passenger information system into the Zambia Immigration Management System (ZIMS).

“This system will allow immigration officers to work ahead of time, preventing inadmissible travelers from embarking on their journey to Zambia,” he stated.

The pre-arrival clearance system, already in use in some countries, will enable Zambia to accommodate higher traveler volumes, increase efficiency in processing arrivals, and mitigate security risks.

Mwiimbu noted that past staffing shortages had constrained the Department of Immigration’s ability to address irregular migration effectively.

The exempted countries include Albania, American Samoa, Andorra, Argentina, Aruba, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bouvet Island, Brunei Darussalam, Cape Verde, Christmas Island, Cocos Island, Comoros, Cook Islands, and Costa Rica.

Others are the Dominican Republic, Faroe Islands, French Polynesia, French Southern Territories, Greenland, Guam, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Israel, Iceland, Laos, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Madagascar, Micronesia, and Moldova.

The list also includes Monaco, Morocco, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, San Marino, Sandwich Islands, São Tomé and Príncipe, South Georgia, and the South Sandwich Islands.

Additional countries include Suriname, Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, Vatican City State, Virgin Islands, and Wallis and Futuna Islands.

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