INFORMATION TO CONSIDER WHEN TRAVELLING TO ZAMBIA IN A TIME OF COVID

Last Up-dated 6th December 2021

Requirements for entry to Zambia

All arrivals must have proof of a negative PCR test that was taken no more than 72 hours prior to the departure from your country of origin.  

Transit through other countries en-route to Zambia is allowed so long as that transit is no longer than 24 hours.

It is expected that travellers will need to use the Trusted Travel platform to prove their negative test.  Please see the paragraph at the end of this section on Trusted Travel.  

A health declaration form must be completed and handed in upon arrival in Zambia. These should be distributed on the plane carrying you to Zambia, if not then they will be available at the point of entry. 

 Temperatures will be taken using a thermo-scanning device. Anyone with an elevated temperature or exhibiting symptoms of COVID may be given a PCR test, (this will not be charged for in Lusaka but in Livingstone it is likely that you will be charged). You will then be expected to self-quarantine until such time as a negative result is generated. Self-quarantine can be carried out at most hotels and many of the safari camps, it is also allowed for you to travel through the country to your chosen place of quarantine.

UPDATED GUIDELINES FROM THE MOH (Ministry of Health Zambia – 30/11/21)

  1. Screening for COVID-19 will continue at all Points of Entry including airports and land crossings:

Port Health officers will observe all arriving passengers to detect those with obvious signs of illness and subject them to further evaluation including testing if indicated.

All arriving passengers will undergo temperature screening

Port Health Officers will collect and review health declaration forms completed by all passengers and verify contact details.

  1. All travelers entering Zambia will be required to provide evidence of a negative SARS COV2 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test for a sample collected within 72 hours of departure from the country of origin. Port Health Officers will determine the authenticity and validity of SARS COV2 negative certificates. 
  2. Travelers departing from Zambia will be screened and must meet all COVID-19 testing requirements of the country of destination and/or transit.

Getting Tested Whilst in Zambia

The Zambian authorities do not require people to have a COVID test in order to depart from the country however most countries will need one for you to enter and some airlines insist on a negative test before flying. If you need to have a test before leaving Zambia it is possible to have a PCR swab taken anywhere in the country. The swabs are typically returned to Lusaka for processing so the costs vary dependent upon where the swab is taken…

Lusaka – Tests will cost $100 per person and there is a one-off facilitation and logistics fee of $150 per group which covers transfers to the clinic, collection and delivery of your test result and Ministry authorization to travel. It is possible to arrange for a clinician to come to your hotel and take swabs there for an extra cost.

South Luangwa – Guests will be swabbed either in their safari camp or at the Mfuwe Clinic. The swabs are then flown to Lusaka for processing and results are handed to the guests when they return through Lusaka. The costs are between $250 – $350 per person, depending on where the guests are staying. 

Lower Zambezi – A nurse will be flown to the Lower Zambezi to take swabs, he / she will carry the swabs back to Lusaka for processing and the results will be handed to guests when they return through Lusaka.  Larger families and groups will be quoted on an ad-hoc basis

Livingstone – Costs will differ dependent on where guests are staying.Trusted Travel Platform

It is expected that fairly soon the Zambian authorities will make it a requirement for travel to and from Zambia that passengers establish an account with Trusted Travel (http://trustedtravel.panabios.org).

We therefore recommend that people travelling to Zambia set this up before leaving home, it is easy enough and free of charge, to set up an account. The results of your PCR test are then up-loaded, either by the clinic carrying out the test or by yourself and a verification QR code is generated which will then be checked at point of entry to Zambia, it is also required by some airlines and a number of other countries so we believe it is the way forward.  

You will need to have a Trusted Travel account in order to up-load your COVID test results prior to leaving Zambia at the end of your trip. You are also able to up-load details of your vaccinations.