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I am an American citizen and will soon be traveling to Botswana, where I'll be staying for three months with a church. What are the entry requirements? Will I need proof of sufficient funds for my stay and, if so, how do I prove that?

I will be transiting in Johannesburg, South Africa. Does this have any other requirements?

David Richerby
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Amanda Brown
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  • Hi Amanda! Welcome to Travel SE! We're a QA website, the idea is that we get questions that have a clear answer. You appear to have multiple questions. Normally we split those up so others have the same issues can find them easier. Also, I believe some of your questions have been answered before. And I also think the entry requirement for Botswana as a US citizen is simple: a visa. Do you wish to know what the visa requirements are? – Belle Apr 16 '16 at 15:39
  • Also, see http://travel.stackexchange.com/q/66104/36405 for a great explanation of how to use bank statements as proof of funds. – Belle Apr 16 '16 at 15:44

1 Answers1

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Botswana is open for tourists, you can visit with a valid passport up to 90 days total within a calendar year. Notice that leaving the country and coming back does not renew the 90 days period. There is no need for for sufficient funds proof as far as I experienced, for myself or for visitors.

Valid passport (Botswana and South Africa) must have:

  • At least two empty pages (BW)
  • At least six months of validity remaining (RSA)
  • No added pages to your passport (RSA)

If you are traveling with minors (under 18), there are additional stipulations:

  • Birth certificate

  • If traveling with one parent, you need a letter from the other parent approving the trip, this must be sign by a notary

  • Refer to SA Department of Home Affaires website for more details or updates

One more thing, before you arrive I do recommend to join Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) program and receive email and updates from the US Consulate in Gaborone

Sources:

Enjoy your trip!

Idan
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  • I don't see the prohibition on additional pages in the source. – phoog May 19 '16 at 14:53
  • @phoog You are right. It something I heard, I will try and find a source for it, if I can't, I will update the answer, thanks. – Idan May 19 '16 at 15:13
  • I checked an old passport of mine that had additional pages and that I also used once to enter South Africa. Unfortunately for this question, but fortunately perhaps for my trip, the pages were added roughly a year after the trip. – phoog May 19 '16 at 16:44
  • This email from the US embassy is the reason for my confusion, I will edit the post. Sorry for the wrong info. Thank you. > Beginning on 1 January 2016, U.S. passport bearers who require more visa pages must apply for a new, 52-page passport book. For information about fees and forms for passport renewals, please visit the U.S. Department of State’s travel website here: http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports.html. – Idan May 20 '16 at 06:14
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    Yeah that's not a South Africa thing, but the State Department no longer being willing to add extra pages to passports, presumably because it was actually a convenient service for travelers (ok, I'll grant they probably had a real reason, but it's still irritating). – Zach Lipton May 20 '16 at 07:01