Zambia to waive visa requirements for certain countries

[spike.t]

In the new budget proposals

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Wow, how refreshing! Zambia is light years ahead of Zim.

 

[flatwater bill]

Smart move, Zambia. I often wondered why Moz (and similar places) required a Visa for US citizens. Were they being overwhelmed by thousands of illegal immigrants from Utah? Probably not. Nonsensical Visa requirements hurt tourism........FWB

 

[mark-hunter]

They should add "EU citizens", so I am not overly thrilled.

For best hunting countries in Africa, I need to make visa, and for me due to nature of my work, it is very inconvenient. I wonder visa-wise, what is EU foreign policy footprint?

Good for Zambia, (or better then before), but.... in my hack of woods, nothing has changed.

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

They should add "EU citizens", so I am not overly thrilled.

For best hunting countries in Africa, I need to make visa, and for me due to nature of my work, it is very inconvenient. I wonder visa-wise, what is EU foreign policy footprint?

Good for Zambia, (or better then before), but.... in my hack of woods, nothing has changed.

It does say european union

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

I think it is just reciprocal in some cases
We as south africans need a visa to get into EU and it is very strict and abig pain in the ass.

Most eu countries are visa exempt to SA for stay less than 30 days

 

[mark-hunter]

Yes, well. There are european countries and european countries. Schengen and non Schengen.

If there is no such cases, i could be hunting in africe once per year.

 

[flatwater bill]

Many countries enact a Visa policy toward the USA as "reciprocal".....really meaning...in anger..."we wanna get even". Bolivia did this, and it pretty much killed their fledgling dove and pigeon hunting industry. Droves of Americans simply aren't flocking into Bolivia...or Zambia...for that matter. With no Visa policy now, the USA has received about 2 million undocumented aliens at the southern border in the last 11 months according to official stats. That's 5000 per day, or equivalent to cities the size of Seattle, Portland, Salt lake City, and Albuquerque combined. Just in 11 months. It does not account for Visa overstays, and unencountered aliens. So the Visa may be reciprocal, but the problem is not. 'Grats to Zambia for helping their own tourist industry. The huge exodus from high birth rate Continents like Africa and South America northward will prompt immigration limits by thinking governments. Reciprocity affects the hunting industry adversely.....FWB

 

[wesheltonj]

That's great news, and one stop flights are available now too. Now, I just need ticket price to drop by several thousand dollars.

 

[spike.t]

They should add "EU citizens", so I am not overly thrilled. For best hunting countries in Africa, I need to make visa, and for me due to nature of my work, it is very inconvenient. I wonder visa-wise, what is EU foreign policy footprint? Good for Zambia, (or better then before), but.... in my hack of woods, nothing has changed.

I really haven't a clue what you are moaning about....what do you think tourists from EU means?....it means passport holders of EU countries....not any person who happens to fly in from one of those EU countries....unbelievable....

 

[spike.t]

Also previously certain of..if not all of those countries...including the bloody EU....could pay for a visa on entry at the immigration desk....even by card....so not exactly a major issue....just extra time and slowed it up...

 

[Doug3006]

I hunted with @Jeff505 in Zambia in 2014, so it has been awhile. If I recall correctly, I applied for a Visa a couple of months before I left and paid something like $50. If that is still the case, and THAT deters people, then I wonder what they’ll think about the cost of charter flights, licenses, multiple area fees, etc., etc.

I bought Jeff and myself a double Glenfiddich in the hotel bar in the Taj Pamodzi hotel and forked out $200 for the pleasure. We still laugh about that. The prices for everything there were shocking. Wonderful trip regardless.

 

[Jeff505]

I hunted with @Jeff505 in Zambia in 2014, so it has been awhile. If I recall correctly, I applied for a Visa a couple of months before I left and paid something like $50. If that is still the case, and THAT deters people, then I wonder what they’ll think about the cost of charter flights, licenses, multiple area fees, etc., etc.

I bought Jeff and myself a double Glenfiddich in the hotel bar in the Taj Pamodzi hotel and forked out $200 for the pleasure. We still laugh about that. The prices for everything there were shocking. Wonderful trip regardless.

Our guns arrived but our other baggage was delayed for a day, the other luggage contained our bourbon and scotch, I remember thinking were that the cost for these drinks ( 18 year old Glenfiddich) was more then many in the country earn In a year. I also remember paying for the drinks, other then that Doug’s recall is correct.

 

[mark-hunter]

so not exactly a major issue....just extra time and slowed it up...

For people in international line of work, who need passport ready at all times, sending passport for visa issuing for 10 days, two weeks, is not convenient.

A friend of mine (regular job employee), his passport was sent from embassy to wrong country, then sent back to embassy, then back to him again, and was waiting more then 2 months to get it.

On one occasion, I sent passport first day, of my one-month leave, and got it one day before travelling back to work, to another country. Missing the flight for one day, could affect my off shore project.

For regular people, with regular jobs, visa is not a major issue, of course.
For people who travel internationally on business regularly this is a major issue. I cannot say to my company, sorry boys, I cannot come back to work, because my passport is delayed, because I need visa to travel to Africa, for hunting safari in next three months.

 

[flatwater bill]

@mark-hunter is absolutely correct. Visas are not always obtained at arrival for 50 bucks and a ten minute wait. I have been without my PP for 2 months ...waiting for a visa that was not granted, although the fees paid were several hundred dollars. Hunting in RSA in 2016 I met a man in camp who asked if he could accompany me to Mozambique and hunt Livingston eland. The PH said great!, happy to have another client. But, the hunter could not get a Visa without returning to J'berg two days away, and standing in line. He bowed out, Moz lost that hunter. If no US hunters overstayed their Visas last year in Zambia then the visa was simply hurting tourism. Hope a few other Countries follow suit.............FWB

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

I filled a passport every yeas for about 15 years in a row with endless visas, elaborate one page stamps or stickers, huge waste of space. It wasn't just the time, inconvenience and money, but I could never fathom how in this modern electronic age the process was so manual and antiquated. Surely all they do is search to see if you pop up on an undesirable list somewhere, I mean what else are they looking for? I am certain we are all in a database somewhere under all sorts of categories and probably a quick auto-search would give the information. For hunters I can't think of a more responsible group of accountable visitors, off to a remote camp, fully supervised, minding their own business.