Rules for overlanding in Botswana

Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 19 March 2025.

Which licence you need

All vehicles — An International Driving Permit (1949 Geneva or 1968 Vienna model) is required to drive a hire car. Check what applies to the licence you hold.

An International Driving Permit states the categories it covers: check yours covers what you will actually drive. A car licence does not cover a motorcycle, and a heavy camper or a truck can need a higher category.

At the wheel

Insurance — Third-party liability cover is compulsory and is taken out at the border.
Temporary import — A Carnet de Passage en Douane is required for a vehicle brought in temporarily.
Which side — Drive on the left and overtake on the right.
No driving after dark — Avoid driving after sunset. Vehicles run without lights, broken-down trucks are left where they stopped with no warning markers, and wild animals cross the road, elephants, gazelle, buffalo and giraffe in particular.
Equipping a 4x4 — Hired off-roaders usually come from South Africa: make sure yours is properly equipped for rough and isolated routes, with spare wheels, fuel cans, shovels, a winch and sand plates.
Intercity buses — Private coach companies link the main towns and are reasonably reliable.

What catches travellers out

Drugs — Penalties are severe and applied to locals and foreigners alike: 10 to 15 years plus a fine of 15,000 pula for possession or dealing. For cannabis the sentence depends on the quantity, up to 3 years under 60 g and 1 to 5 years above it. Tourists are rarely granted bail because they are treated as a flight risk.
Travelling with children — Every minor needs their own electronic passport plus a certified translated copy of the full unabridged birth certificate showing both parents' details. A child travelling with only one parent, with a guardian, or alone also needs a sworn affidavit of consent.
Water hazards — Do not bathe in pools or watercourses: crocodiles and hippos are present.
Passport and visa — A passport with at least six months' validity and three blank pages is required. No visa is needed for tourist stays of up to 90 days a year.

Before you rely on this

This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 19 March 2025. We summarise in good faith, but we cannot guarantee it is accurate, current or complete, and we take no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of it. Rules change without notice and are applied by officials at the border, not by websites. Always read the original source and the travel advice your own government publishes for Botswana before you travel. GuideMeet has no way of checking whether an individual guide meets any standard mentioned here — ask them directly.

Source: Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated 19 March 2025. Last checked by GuideMeet on 2026-09-20.