Immigration law in Zambia

Zambia's operative framework is the Immigration and Deportation Act 2010, the 2016 amendment, the Immigration and Deportation (General) Regulations 2011 and SI 99 of 2025, which commenced on 1 January 2026. The Immigration Control Act 2026 was assented to and published but has not commenced, so it has not replaced the operative framework. The Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security, the Director-General of Immigration, ZDI headquarters in Lusaka, regional offices in all ten provinces, Zambian missions abroad and the online eServices or ZamServices portal handle different parts of the system. A foreign national generally needs a visa unless their nationality is exempt. Entry also requires examination by an immigration officer at the port of entry. A passport should normally have at least six months of validity from the date of entry and three blank pages. Air travellers should have a return ticket. People arriving by land or water may need to show funds for their stay and departure. An e-Visa, visa on arrival or visa issued by a Zambian mission permits travel or entry under its conditions, but its validity period is not the same as the period of stay authorized after admission. Single-entry, double-entry and multiple-entry visas normally have 90 days of validity from first issue. A transit visa for land transit can last up to seven days. The KAZA UNIVISA covers Zambia and Zimbabwe and allows qualifying travel to Botswana for day trips for up to 30 days. A Day Tripper permit is for a stay of less than 24 hours through the same port and is currently used at Victoria Falls and Kazungula. A visitor or tourist may generally receive up to 90 days without a fee in any 12-month period. A business visitor may generally receive up to 30 days without a fee in any 12-month period. An extension must be requested before expiry. A stay beyond 90 days requires a Visiting Permit, normally valid for three months and limited to a maximum of nine months in any 12-month period. Hosts, evidence of status and proof of return or departure may be required. Study, visiting, temporary employment and temporary permit holders cannot invite visitors under the stated immigration rules. Business visitor activities can include advice, training, observation, classroom activity and unpaid voluntary work, including work for a foreign employer who continues to pay the employee abroad. Work exceeding 30 days generally requires a Temporary Employment Permit, which can last up to six months within a 12-month period. It is not the normal long-term employment permission. Employment lasting more than six months generally requires an Employment Permit. This applies to work for a government or statutory body, private company, non-governmental organization or religious organization. The employer, a practising lawyer or a registered immigration consultant submits the application; a prospective expatriate does not normally apply personally. The applicant should remain outside Zambia until approval. After approval, the permit authorizes entry, re-entry and stay until it expires, but a visa-required applicant still needs an entry visa to collect the permit. Typical evidence includes an employer letter, appointment or employment contract, qualifications, professional certificates, passport, photographs, references and employer records. The permit binds the holder to the approved occupation, employer, location and activity. Unauthorized gainful work, business, professional activity or study can lead to refusal, cancellation, detention, removal or other sanctions. The employer must surrender the permit within one month after termination, resignation or dismissal, report relevant status changes, retain records for two years and generally bear repatriation or removal costs. An Investor's Permit is for a person over 18 who establishes or invests in a new or existing business. Current ZDI evidence may include incorporation documents, share-capital or minimum-capital certificates, a Zambia Development Agency investment licence where available, proof of personal investment, ownership or a lease, and bank, tax or audit records. The indicated investment amounts are approximately USD 250,000 for a new business and USD 150,000 for joining an existing company. The permission is limited to the approved business and does not automatically authorize work outside it. Family members use a variation or dependant process. A Study Permit covers full-time or part-time study at a Zambian educational institution. Children and dependants studying for more than three months generally need their own Study Permit unless their own Residence Permit records student status. Common evidence includes an acceptance letter, passport, Zambian government medical report, sponsor letter, sponsor status and financial proof. The permit does not authorize gainful work, business or professional activity outside its terms. Renewals normally require a school letter and results or progress evidence. A Spouse Permit may apply to the spouse of a Zambian citizen, an established resident or a Residence Permit holder. The application can require a marriage certificate, the spouse's consent and status evidence, proof of maintenance, passport and photographs. A Spouse Permit alone does not authorize work; separate Employment Permit approval is required. Children and other dependants receive individual Digital Permit Cards or Dependants Permits under ZDI practice. A parent or dependant over 18 may need a Temporary Permit. Other permissions include a Cross Border Permit for a qualifying national of a regional grouping or resident of a neighbouring state who conducts cross-border business. It normally starts with 90 days, may be renewed for another 90 days and cannot exceed six months in any 12-month period. A Diplomatic Permit serves accredited diplomats, defined international organizations and eligible family members. A Transit Permit mainly covers commercial truck drivers and crew after 90 business days, initially for one year with a possible one-year renewal. A Residence Permit confers permanent residence, but permanent residence is not citizenship. Current eligibility includes more than ten continuous years on an Employment Permit, more than three years on an Investor's Permit, at least five years on a Spouse Permit, a child of a Zambian citizen of any age, a foreign dependant under a citizen's care, qualifying retirement with sufficient pension, annuity or retirement funds, and an Entry Permit where a delayed conversion is justified. Residence status can be affected by failure to enter within six months, absence for more than six months without written notice or absence for more than twelve months. The Department of National Registration, Passports and Citizenship, the Citizenship Board of Zambia and the Minister handle citizenship matters. The Constitution provides citizenship by birth, descent, adoption and registration. No separate current naturalisation category was identified in the supplied research. Registration may be available to an adult born in Zambia who has ordinarily resided there for at least five years, a foreign-born adult with a Zambian ancestor who has ordinarily resided there for at least five years, a person with ten years of continuous ordinary residence or a person married to or previously married to a citizen for at least five years. Marriage-based applications also require a recognized marriage and compliance with rules concerning prohibited immigrants, custodial convictions and sham marriages. After Gazette publication and notices in two consecutive daily newspaper issues, the Board may decide within six months. A written rejection and reasons should be given within seven days. Zambia constitutionally retains dual citizenship. A permit or permanent residence does not automatically create citizenship, and ordinary residence must be assessed separately from permit history. Protection applications are governed by the Refugees Act 2017. An asylum application should normally be made to the Commissioner for Refugees or an authorized officer within seven days after entry, although lawful and irregular entry are both covered by the protection system. The Commissioner or authorized officer should refer the case within 30 days, and the Refugee Status Determination Committee should consider it within 60 days. The applicant and dependants may remain until the determination and any appeal are exhausted. In ZDI practice, an Asylum Seeker's Permit is valid for 30 days for refugee-status processing. Non-refoulement prevents refusal, expulsion, extradition or return where the person would face persecution or a serious threat in the destination, subject to the national-security exception. A refusal of recognition can be appealed to the Minister within 14 days. After an unsuccessful appeal, a stay of up to three months may be allowed to seek admission elsewhere. Recognized refugees receive an identity card and may obtain a movement pass outside a settlement, use the courts like citizens, work or study with the required permission, access primary education without a Study Permit, conduct self-employment or form a company, and practise a profession subject to the law. They must comply with Zambian law, status conditions, settlement or movement rules and identity-document requirements. Applications for permits and e-Visas can be submitted online through eServices or ZamServices, depending on the service. The process usually includes an account, electronic form, document uploads, payment, electronic approval or rejection and status tracking. Access may be available to the individual, an employer's human-resources representative, a registered consultant or a lawyer, depending on the service. Certified passport copies, photographs, covering letters, status evidence, civil records and, where relevant, medical, financial, tax, lease or company documents should match the chosen permission. Documents in another language may need an English translation for national-document processes. Fees are generally non-refundable, and a payment receipt is not an approval. The final admission decision remains with the immigration officer at the port. Current official price examples, including an administrative fee, are USD 50.50 for a single-entry visa, USD 80.80 for a double or multiple-entry visa, USD 25.28 for a transit visa, USD 50.50 for KAZA UNIVISA and USD 10.10 for a Day Tripper permit. Permit examples include ZMW 24,240 for private-sector Employment Permit issuance and ZMW 28,280 for renewal, ZMW 16,160 and ZMW 20,200 for Investor's Permit issuance and renewal, ZMW 20,200 for a Residence Permit, ZMW 3,030 and ZMW 6,060 for Spouse Permit issuance and renewal, ZMW 9,090 and ZMW 12,120 for Study Permit issuance and renewal, ZMW 18,180 and ZMW 21,210 for Temporary Employment Permit issuance and renewal, and ZMW 6,733 and ZMW 10,100 for Visiting Permit issuance and renewal. Government and NGO rates can be lower, and portal or statutory fees can change. Current payment quotes and SI 99 of 2025 control where older ZDI pages conflict. No fixed current statutory processing time for ordinary ZDI permits was identified, so applications need a time buffer. The refugee and citizenship deadlines are specific legal clocks, while appeal deadlines can be very short. An adverse immigration decision should state reasons. The affected person can make representations and use the available appeal process. The research identifies at least 48 hours for representations, a decision period of up to 14 days, a statutory appeal to the Minister within 48 hours, a Minister decision period of up to 10 days and a court appeal within 48 hours. ZDI's published electronic appeal practice allows up to seven days for a rejection notice period and then an online appeal to the Director-General, followed by a Minister appeal within 48 hours. The notice itself controls when the deadline differs. Immigration officers may inspect workplaces and educational institutions, verify status, arrest or detain people and remove illegal immigrants. Overstay, unauthorized activity, false documents and employer breaches can cause refusal, cancellation, detention, removal or deportation, fines or criminal exposure. Detention normally cannot exceed 30 days without a court warrant, although a court may extend it up to 90 days. Pending court proceedings can restrict deportation, and removal and deportation are distinct legal measures.