Zambia business visa and temporary employment permit

Nationals of visa-exempt countries attending meetings, negotiations or conferences in Zambia do not need a visa. Visa-required nationals obtain a business visa, for which the department asks for a cover letter, an invitation, a passport copy and photo, a hotel booking and a return ticket.

A business visitor who needs a visa applies with a cover letter on company letterhead addressed to the Director General, with the full address and phone numbers, an invitation from the host company, a certified copy of the host company's certificate of incorporation, a passport copy and a passport photo.

A temporary employment permit (TEP) is issued to any business visitor who intends to remain in Zambia for more than 30 days. Its validity must not exceed six months in any 12-month period. It suits short assignments such as installing equipment or a defined consulting task; employment of more than six months requires an employment permit instead.

The legal basis is section 28(10) of the Immigration and Deportation Act, which lets the Director General issue a temporary employment permit to a business visitor staying more than 30 days, never for more than six months in any 12-month period.

Submit a covering letter from the institution doing business with you, the completed Form 25, a certified copy of the passport bio page and last Zambian endorsement stamp, one recent photo and the prescribed fee. For a renewal, the employer writes a letter giving the reasons and you complete Form 11.

The 2024 fee table lists ZMW 18,000 for issuing a private-sector temporary employment permit and ZMW 21,000 for renewal, with lower amounts in the second schedule of the table. Card and mobile-money payments add a small administrative fee.

When the temporary employment permit concerns the government, a quasi-government body, an NGO or another non-profit organisation, the second schedule applies: ZMW 9,333 for issuance and ZMW 10,667 for renewal. Changing the passport on a permit costs ZMW 2,000 in the private-sector schedule.

Under section 10 of the Immigration and Deportation Act, an immigration officer who takes a decision that adversely affects you must tell you the reasons and give you at least 48 hours to make representations; the officer then has 14 days to reply. You may appeal to the Minister of Home Affairs within 48 hours of that decision, and the Minister, after consulting the Director General, may reverse or modify it within ten days. A further appeal to a court must be lodged within 48 hours of the Minister's decision; without an appeal the decision is final.