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Where can Botswana passport holders travel?

48 countries are visa-free for Botswana passport holders. Add 17 with a visa on arrival, 6 with an online eTA and 28 with an eVisa, and you can visit 99 countries without applying at an embassy.

Comparing with another site? Counting only visa-free entry and visa on arrival gives 65; some sites also leave out eTAs and eVisas or still use rules that have changed. 29 rules on this page are backed by a cited official or authoritative source, shown next to the country. In our latest audit (27 October 2026), 188 of 197 destinations matched IATA Timatic, the database airlines check (via Wikipedia), or were confirmed with an official source; 9 are still being checked. How we check visa rules

Source: Passport Index dataset (visualpharm/visa-free-dataset, updated 2026-11-02) + 194 sourced corrections (last checked 2026-11-07). Page built 11 November 2026. Report an error

Visa free 48

Visa on arrival 17

eTA (online travel authorization) 6

eVisa (apply online) 28

Embassy visa required for 99 countries

Afghanistan, Algeria, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Myanmar, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, North Korea, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Palestinian Territory, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Republic of the Congo, Romania, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vatican City, Venezuela, Yemen

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Changing planes with a Botswana passport

These rules cover connecting flights where you stay in the airport's international transit area. Leaving it, changing airports or collecting your bags means entering the country, which needs the entry visa.

Recent rule changes for Botswana passports

Articles for Botswana passport holders

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Botswana passport: common questions

How many countries can Botswana passport holders visit without a visa?

48 countries are visa-free for Botswana passport holders. Counting 17 with a visa on arrival, 6 with an online eTA and 28 with an eVisa, they can visit 99 countries without applying at an embassy. The other 99 countries require an embassy visa.

Which countries are visa-free for Botswana passport holders?

Botswana passport holders can enter these 48 countries visa-free: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Brazil, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Eswatini, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosovo, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Micronesia, Mozambique, Namibia, Panama, Philippines, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Why do other websites show a different number for the Botswana passport?

Websites count different things. Wandava counts every way in without an embassy: visa-free (48), visa on arrival (17), online eTA (6) and eVisa (28), 99 in all. Counting only entry with no step before you travel (visa-free and visa on arrival) gives 65, and visa-free alone gives 48. When an online visa needs a local sponsor or a full set of supporting documents, Wandava counts it as an embassy visa, not an eVisa.

Which countries give Botswana passport holders a visa on arrival?

Botswana passport holders can get a visa on arrival in these 17 countries: Burundi, Cambodia, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Iran, Laos, Macau, Madagascar, Nepal, Palau, Qatar, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste and Tuvalu. A fee may apply.

Where do Botswana passport holders need an eTA or eVisa?

An online eTA is needed for Ghana, Israel, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Seychelles, South Korea and Suriname. An eVisa, applied for online before you fly, is needed for Albania, Bahrain, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, India, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Libya, Mauritania, Mongolia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, São Tomé and Principe, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Thailand and Vietnam.

Can a US, UK or Schengen visa help Botswana passport holders visit more countries?

Yes. Holding a valid visa opens more countries that Botswana passport holders can enter without an embassy visa: 8 more with a US visa, 7 more with a UK visa and 40 more with a Schengen visa. Conditions apply, and each rule links to its official source.

Where can Botswana passport holders with a Schengen residence permit, UK residence permit or US green card travel?

A valid residence permit opens more countries that Botswana passport holders can enter without an embassy visa: 8 more with a US green card, 3 more with a UK residence permit and 37 more with a Schengen residence permit. A Schengen residence permit allows stays of up to 90 days in any 180 in the other Schengen countries. Conditions apply, and each rule links to its official source.

Do Botswana passport holders need a transit visa?

Schengen area: no airport transit visa needed. United Kingdom: direct airside transit visa (DATV) needed. United States: US visa needed, even to change planes (a C-1 transit visa or a B visitor visa). Canada: Canadian visa needed, even to change planes (a transit visa for stays of 48 hours or less). Australia: Australian transit visa (subclass 771) needed, even to change planes (free, up to 72 hours). Singapore: no transit visa needed. United Arab Emirates: no transit visa needed. Qatar (Doha): no transit visa needed. Some visas and residence permits exempt you; the transit section on this page lists them with official sources.

How up to date is this Botswana passport information?

The visa data comes from the Passport Index dataset (visualpharm/visa-free-dataset, updated 2026-11-02) + 194 sourced corrections (last checked 2026-11-07). This page was built on 11 November 2026. Entry rules change, so confirm with the destination's official website or embassy before you travel.