Hey
In July I will be travelling to Zambia for 8-10 weeks to do a medical elective where I will be volunteering in a hospital.
I have been researching visas and it seems from what I can find that to do any sort of work (including volunteering) a business visa is required? Or can you do unpaid volunteer work on a tourist visa? In many places it says that this is for a maximum of 30 days and in other places it says this can be extended? If it can be extended would this require me travelling to Lusaka? If I were to travel to Botswana or Tanzania for a few days and then re-enter Zambia would this give me another 30 days - some sites say a maximum of 30 days in 12 months but from what I've read people have stayed in the country a lot longer than this?
Any help or clarification on any of this would be very much appreciated
Thank you in advance
Jo
I'm quite sure you'll need a business/working visa, even if you're not getting paid. You can, of course, work on a tourist visa, and hope not to get caught. I know many who've done it, and nothing happened, but you could get caught. When I volunteered in Tanzania, I got a tourist visa at the airport, and then the hospital fixed my working permit once I got there. Ask the hospital you will be volunteering at if they can assist you.
Don't know anything abouth the maximum amount of days in Zambia though.
Good luck :)
You should really be on a business visa (30 days only) if you are going to be doing work (even volunteer). After 30 days, you can then apply for a Temporary Permit - this gives you 3 months for a fee of ZMK 2,000,000 (around US$ 200). You are only permitted 30 days in a 12 month period for a business visa (hence having to purchase the TP if you want to be there for more than 30 days).
If you wanted to chance it on a tourist visa (it clearly states that you are not permitted to engage in any work - paid or unpaid), they are simple enough to extend. You will get 30 days on arrival, then you need to renew again at immigration without having to leave Zambia (renew either in town or at a border point) - you can only spend a maximum of 90 days in a 12 month period though.
I'm sure the hospital will give you an indication of what volunteers normally do - I overheard someone at immigration in Lusaka the other day saying that the girl accompanying her was just "staying with her" at the grounds of the hospital, and she was then asked "are you doing any kind of work - even volunteering?", she said "no" and they were directed to the office for tourist visa renewals. Its just a question of whether you want to take the change (and I personally wouldn't - but that's just me!)
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