It is important to know about customs regulations before traveling to Botswana to avoid legal issues and potential fines. As you know, customs regulations widely depend on the country. Before traveling to (or from) Botswana make sure to check the allowance and limits for the next things:
- Alcohol and tobacco
- Currency
- Medicines (especially those containing drugs)
- Animals
- Cultural artifacts
- Plants, fruits, vegetables and other agricultural products
Check the information below to be sure that you are complying with Botswana customs regulations.
Import regulations in Botswana
Duty-free allowance
Tobacco limit
- Restricted to travellers 18 years and over;
- 200 cigarettes;
- 20 cigars;
- and 250 grams of cigarette or pipe tobacco.
Bringing alcohol
- Restricted to travellers 18 years and over;
- 2 litres of wine;
- and 1 litre of spirits and other alcoholic beverages.
Other Goods
- 50mL of perfume.
- 250mL of eau de toilette.
- Goods not exceeding a total of R3000 if travelling from outside the South African Customs Union (SACU), or R500 for travellers within SACU.
Cash limit
- There are no restrictions on the importation of funds into Botswana.
- Funds of P10,000 equivalent or more must be declared at the border.
Prohibited items
The following are goods which cannot be brought into the country.
- Narcotic and habit-forming drugs and related substances in any form.
- Military firearms and ammunition, and explosives.
- Indecent and obscene material such as pornographic materials and renderings, including books, videos, and other media.
- Semi-precious stones such as agate, amethyst, Botswana pink, jade, rose quartz, carnelian, chalcedony, crystal quartz, tourmaline, jasper, tanzanite, garnet, moss agate, tiger’s eye, sodalite, aquamarine, azurite and malachite.
Restricted items
These goods are strictly regulated, and in most cases require a permit to be obtained prior to arrival.
- Foodstuffs and consumables are limited to certain quantities per person. For further information, please visit the Botswana Unified Revenue Service Restricted Goods.
- Domestic animals such as pets and livestock require an Animal Health Certificate issued by the Director of Animal Health and Production in Botswana. For further information, please visit the Botswana Unified Revenue Service Restricted Goods.
- Wild animals, along with products and trophies derived from them, require a permit issued by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks.
- Plants, seeds and agricultural supplies require clearance from the Chief Agricultural Research Officer in Botswana.
- Soil requires an import permit from the Director of Crop Production and Forestry.
- Firearm importation is possible, but requires a Police permit issued by the Central Arms Registry. Travellers seeking to import firearms are advised to apply well in advance of their trip, as there is a limited quota of permits that can be granted at any one time.
Information has been updated: .
