Botswana requires a valid passport for entry. Citizens of the United States, United Kingdom, European Union member states, and most Commonwealth countries receive a 90-day visa-free entry stamp on arrival. Citizens of South Africa and Namibia can enter with just a national identity card. The official visa information portal is maintained by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship at https://www.gov.bw. Travelers entering from yellow fever endemic countries must present a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate. Work permits and residence permits require separate applications through the Department of Immigration before arrival.
The official currency is the Botswana pula, abbreviated BWP, subdivided into 100 thebe. As of 2024, one United States dollar exchanges for approximately 13 to 14 pula, though rates fluctuate. Banks operate Monday through Friday from 08:00 to 15:30, with Saturday hours from 08:15 to 10:45. ATMs exist in Gaborone, Francistown, Maun, and Kasane, accepting Visa and Mastercard. Smaller villages lack ATM infrastructure. Credit cards function at lodges, hotels, and larger restaurants in urban centers. Cash remains necessary for rural areas, small vendors, and national park entry fees. The Bank of Botswana issues banknotes in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100, and 200 pula.
Electricity operates on 230 volts at 50 hertz. Botswana uses Type D, Type G, and Type M socket configurations. Type G is the three-pin rectangular system used in the United Kingdom. Type D is the large three-pin round system used in India. Type M is the South African three-pin round system. Most lodges and hotels provide adapters. Travelers from North America require both a voltage converter and plug adapter. Power outages occur occasionally in rural areas.
Tap water in Gaborone and Francistown meets World Health Organization potability standards. The Water Utilities Corporation treats municipal water supplies with chlorination. Maun and Kasane have functional municipal water systems. Rural areas and safari lodges often rely on borehole water, which varies in quality. Many lodges provide bottled or filtered water. Remote camps use reverse osmosis systems. Travelers with sensitive digestive systems typically prefer bottled water, available at supermarkets and shops in all towns.
Mobile phone coverage exists in Gaborone, Francistown, Maun, Kasane, and along major highways. Mascom Wireless and Orange Botswana are the primary network operators. Both offer prepaid SIM cards purchasable at airports, supermarkets, and dedicated stores. A passport is required to register a SIM card. Coverage disappears in remote areas including the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, large sections of the Kalahari Desert, and parts of the Okavango Delta. Satellite phones function throughout the country. WiFi is available at hotels and lodges in urban centers and major tourism hubs.
The national airline is Air Botswana, operating from Sir Seretse Khama International Airport in Gaborone. The airport code is GBE. Air Botswana flies to Johannesburg, Cape Town, Harare, and domestically to Maun and Kasane. South African Airways, Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, and Air Namibia provide additional international connections. Maun International Airport, code MUB, serves as the primary entry point for Okavango Delta tourism. Kasane International Airport, code BBK, serves Chobe National Park. Charter flights on small aircraft reach remote lodges and camps. Botswana allows private pilots with valid licenses to fly within its airspace after obtaining clearance from the Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana.
Botswana maintains approximately 18,500 kilometers of roads, with roughly 8,900 kilometers paved. The A1 highway connects Gaborone to Francistown, fully paved at 437 kilometers. The A3 highway runs from Francistown to Kasane, paved for approximately 500 kilometers. The road from Maun to the Okavango Delta remains mostly unpaved. Most roads within national parks are dirt or sand tracks requiring four-wheel-drive vehicles. The speed limit on paved highways is 120 kilometers per hour. In towns, the speed limit drops to 60 kilometers per hour. Driving occurs on the left side of the road. International Driving Permits are recognized. Vehicle rental agencies operate in Gaborone, Maun, and Kasane. Fuel stations exist in all towns but are sparse in rural areas. Distances between stations can exceed 200 kilometers in the Kalahari.
Railways in Botswana total approximately 888 kilometers of track. Botswana Railways operates a single line running from Ramatlabama on the South Africa border through Gaborone, Francistown, and Nata to Zimbabwe. The service primarily transports freight. Passenger service operates irregularly and unreliably. The journey from Gaborone to Francistown takes approximately 12 hours when scheduled. No passenger rail serves tourism destinations like Maun, Kasane, or the Okavango Delta.