03 Aug 2021

 The Ministry of Nationality, Immigration and Gender Affairs will on August 12 introduce an electronic visa (e-visa) application platform for travellers seeking to visit the country.

Speaking during a media briefing August 3, Minister Annah Mokgethi said the e-visa would start with employment and investor applications.

She explained that the platform would enable one to apply for a visa through a website. 

“This will make visa application a customer-friendly process as one can apply anywhere and at any time of the day. This has various other benefits such as reducing contact especially during this deadly COVID-19 pandemic era,” she said.

The whole process, from filling application forms to making payment takes place online and  once approved, the e-visa will be delivered to one’s email.

Minister Mokgethi explained that the only thing that differentiated the e-visa from other types of visas was the fact that applications were done online. 

She said processing of the e-visa to determine approval or denial was done in the normal way.General requirements for a Botswana visa include copy of  passport; letter from the host who is resident in Botswana; travel schedule including flight itinerary and bookings and a previous visa if any. 

She said in addition to the general requirements, there were specific ones for each visa category.

“It is important to note that Botswana had in the past adopted issuance of visa on arrival with conditions to specifically facilitate tourists. Let me inform you that in the long term, the visa on arrival will be phased out as the e-visa system stabilises,” she said. 

Noting that the transformational initiative was in line with the President’s reset agenda, Minister Mokgethi said the e-visa would place Botswana in a position of global competitiveness.

For example, she said, the country would stand a chance to benefit from universal visa arrangements with other countries offering e-visa. 

Additionally, it would ease access to the service, guard against issues of fraud and forgery, reduce inconveniences, improve turnaround time and ultimately increase customer satisfaction. 

Botswana Investment Trade Centre (BITC) chief executive officer, Mr Keletsositse Olebile said the initiative was worth celebrating in terms of its contribution to Botswana’s global competitiveness and improvement to the ease of doing business. 

He said introduction of e-visa application platform was a significant milestone as it would cut travel costs and requirements related to showing up physically.

“One can now apply and get their visa wherever they are across the world including payment arrangements,” he said.Ends