馃寠 Zambia

Official government travel advice

Advice changes quickly. Check it before you travel and again before you leave.

Costs

Prices here are about 30% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.

Practical information

Entry

A Zambian embassy or the Zambia Department of Immigration can confirm, before you book, which visa your passport requires. Sources mention that an e-Visa can be applied for online prior to travel. Visitors to Victoria Falls can use the KAZA Univisa, which covers Zambia plus Zimbabwe, but only certain nationalities qualify, so check your own eligibility. Anyone crossing to Zimbabwe faces visa rules of its own. Pack a return ticket and a passport with 6 months of validity. Arrivals from a risk country need a yellow fever certificate. A doctor can advise on malaria prevention.

Culture and practical - take note

Zambians have a reputation for being peaceful and polite; a handshake is the greeting, followed by a question about the other person's family. Modest dress is appropriate in towns. Victoria Falls is at its wettest from roughly March through June and at its driest from September through December, when a swim at the Devil's Pool may be possible, but with licensed guides only, and never alone. Guides' instructions apply on safaris and river activities. People should be asked before they are photographed, and military or government sites are off-limits for photos. Guides and drivers should be tipped. Outside Lusaka, there is only limited halal food.

Emergency

999 or 112. Ask your hotel or operator for local police and ambulance numbers.

Good to know

Cards and cash machines

The currency is the Zambian kwacha, says Canadian advice. US dollars, British pounds or South African rand can be exchanged at any exchange bureau. Major credit and debit cards are accepted in larger supermarkets, restaurants, shops and hotels in big cities, but local currency is needed in rural areas. Cash machines are available in the main cities, and power cuts can affect machines and banks.

Local laws and customs

Drugs, photos and medicines

UK advice says possessing or using drugs, including marijuana, is illegal, and that photographing sensitive sites can lead to arrest. Possessing pornographic material is illegal and can bring jail or deportation. Canadian advice adds that authorities may ask for ID at any time, that visitors should dress conservatively and avoid kissing in public, that drones need Civil Aviation Authority approval, and that some common medicines are controlled. Both say same-sex sexual activity is illegal.

Taxis and scams

Licensed taxis and rideshare

In Zambia, Canadian advice recommends only licensed taxis, whether picked by a reputable hotel or restaurant or taken from an official taxi stand; the meter should be requested or the fare agreed, and the ID of the driver should correspond with the car registration and taxi licence. Rideshare services are available in Lusaka and some major cities, it says, so use a trusted app and confirm the driver and plate.

Romance and card fraud

Romance scams run through dating sites and social media have taken place in Zambia, Canadian advice says, and someone who travels to meet an online acquaintance may be scammed. It further reports fraud involving credit cards, debit cards and ATMs, and warns that public Wi-Fi networks can be compromised.

Who can help

local government

Zambia Police Service - emergency lines

Helps with: The police service's contact page lists 991 as the emergency and hotline number, with 992 for an ambulance and 993 for the fire brigade. Its office is on Government Road, Lusaka.

Who qualifies: Anyone in Zambia, including visitors, in an emergency.

Phone: 991

Address: Government Rd, Lusaka

Official website

Source 路 checked 2026-11-04

local government

Ministry of Tourism, Zambia

Helps with: The government ministry responsible for tourism. Its contact page gives a Lusaka office address, phone and email. The Ministry's travel information page also lists emergency and local police numbers.

Who qualifies: Anyone with a tourism question in Zambia.

Phone: +260 211 223930

Email: info@mot.gov.zm

Address: Kwacha House, Cairo Road, Lusaka (P.O. Box 30575)

Official website

Source 路 checked 2026-11-04

local government

Zambia Tourism Agency

Helps with: Zambia's national tourism agency. Its contact page gives a Lusaka office address and phone line for visitors with questions about travelling in Zambia.

Who qualifies: Anyone planning or taking a trip to Zambia.

Phone: +260 211 229087

Address: Abacus House, Stand No. 2338, Kabelenga Road, Boma Area, Lusaka

Official website

Source 路 checked 2026-11-04

ngo

Zambia Red Cross Society

Helps with: Zambia's national Red Cross society, founded in 1966, with volunteers in all 10 provinces. Its site lists a toll-free line 7373 as well as the phone number given here.

Who qualifies: People in Zambia needing the Red Cross's humanitarian help, including in disasters.

Phone: 0953054584

Email: info@redcross.org.zm

Address: 2837 Los Angeles Boulevard, Longacres, Lusaka

Official website

Source 路 checked 2026-11-04

un agency

International Organization for Migration (IOM) Zambia

Helps with: The UN migration agency, in Zambia since 1990. It runs migration programmes and provides protection and referral help for vulnerable migrants, including trafficking victims and stranded migrants.

Who qualifies: Migrants in Zambia, especially vulnerable ones such as trafficking victims or stranded migrants. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.

Phone: +260 211 25 40 55

Email: iomlusaka@iom.int

Address: Plot No. 4623 Mwaimwena Road, Rhodes Park, Lusaka

Official website

Source 路 checked 2026-11-04

embassy

Foreign missions in Zambia (Department of Immigration list)

Helps with: For a lost passport or serious trouble, contact your own country's embassy or high commission. This government list covers embassies, consulates and honorary consulates, mostly in Lusaka, with addresses and contacts. The list is undated.

Who qualifies: Citizens of each country, through their own embassy, high commission or consulate.

Official website

Source 路 checked 2026-11-04

local government

Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit

Helps with: Zambia's national disaster management unit, set up under the Disaster Management Act of 2010. The Vice-President's office page gives a Lusaka phone number; it lists no hotline and is undated.

Who qualifies: Anyone in Zambia affected by a disaster or wanting to report one.

Phone: +260 211 250827

Address: Cabinet Office, 4th Floor, Independence Avenue, Lusaka (P.O. Box 50773)

Official website

Source 路 checked 2026-11-04

Cities and places

Livingstone and Victoria Falls Livingstone and Victoria FallsThis town is the base for visiting Victoria Falls, offering bungee jumps off the falls bridge, white-water rafting, Zambezi sunset cruises and swims at Devil's Pool.Photo: YWAM Livingstone, CC BY-SA 4.0 Lusaka LusakaA practical stopover, Lusaka has craft markets and local food, and as the capital and chief air hub it connects onward to the safari parks.Photo: Matthew Grollnek, CC BY-SA 4.0 South Luangwa National Park South Luangwa National ParkThis park is famous for leopard sightings and walking safaris, with rich birdlife, Thornicroft's giraffe and elephants along the Luangwa River.Photo: Geoff Gallice, CC BY 2.0 Lower Zambezi National Park Lower Zambezi National ParkCanoe and boat safaris pass elephants and hippos in this river wilderness, which looks across the Zambezi to Zimbabwe's Mana Pools.Photo: Joachim Huber from Switzerland, CC BY-SA 2.0 Kafue National Park Kafue National ParkThe Busanga Plains lie in this huge, uncrowded park, which is known for birdwatching, antelope herds, cheetahs and lions.Photo: LittleT889, CC BY-SA 4.0

City selection based on: Zambia Tourism Agency material plus safari operator guides

Festivals and events

culture

Kuomboka ceremony

around Mar-Apr 2027 路 Mongu

A royal barge carries the Lozi king to higher ground.

nature

Victoria Falls at full flow

around Mar-May 2027 路 Livingstone

The falls produce their largest spray and loudest roar.