SUMMARY OF THE TRAVEL REGULATIONS RELATING TO TRAVEL WITH CHILDREN TO BOTSWANA

As of the 1st October 2016, the Botswana Government updated their laws concerning travelling with Children under 18. 
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Minors travelling through Botswana’s borders will be required to produce certified copies of unabridged birth certificates in 
addition to their valid passports. In the event that one parent is not travelling with the child, the other parent’s affidavit consenting to such travel should be presented.
Standard tourist visa
​Tourist visas are valid for a maximum period of 90 days from entering Botswana. This visa is issued on arrival.
Regulations relating to travelling with children in BOTSWANA
​Everyone, both Botswanan and foreigners alike, travelling with children under the age of 18 to, through or from Botswana, will have to prove that the children in question are their own. This means:
  • Both parents travelling with child(ren) under the age of 18 have to produce a full/unabridged birth certificate for the child (both parents’ details must be on the birth certificate). Certified copies of the birth certificates are also accepted. It is no longer sufficient to merely have a statement pertaining to the child(ren) in the parent’s passport.
 
  • One parent travelling with child(ren) must have consent from the other parent in the form of an affidavit (no older than 4 months from the date of travel) or custody agreement, confirming permission to travel with child(ren). A certified copy of the absent parent’s passport must also be available for presentation upon request.
  • One parent travelling with child(ren) when the other parent has passed away, must produce a certified copy of the death certificate of deceased parent.
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  • Guardians (family member, friend) travelling with child(ren) must provide affidavits from both parents giving permission for child(ren) to travel, in addition to the valid birth certificate(s). Certified copies of their parents/ legal guardian’s passports must be available upon request.
How to apply for a birth certificate
​Currently the turnaround time between requesting and receiving a birth certificate varies from five days to three weeks – depending on the manner of application and in which country you are applying. You request the certificate from the Municipality/Council/District of Birth. To apply for a birth certificate, you must take a valid ID for both yourself and the child. The official birth certificate, the details of both the parents and the child. It is only official if it is equipped with apostilles/ notarization (certificate of authentication). An apostille or 
notarization certifies the authenticity of the signature on the document.

PLEASE NOTE: WHEN APPLYING FOR A CERTIFICATE, BE SURE TO REQUEST AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE CERTIFICATE, AND EXPRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE APOSTILLE BEING PRESENT ON THE DOCUMENT. FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT YOUR MUNICIPALITY OR LOCAL COUNCIL.
What to include in the letter of consent
The signed letter must contain the parent’s official name and passport number(s), with a certified copy of the parent’s passport attached. Contact details for the parents/ legal guardian of the child(ren) must also be included. We 
recommend that you enquire at your consulate for more information.

 A sample letter can be downloaded here.
In conclusion
The new law refers only to the additional paperwork pertaining to children under 18 years of age, thus the laws regarding acquisition of a tourist visa upon entering the country does not change. Children 18 years and older are regarded as adults and need their own passport, thus no birth certificate or parental consent is required. A free 90-day tourist visa is issued upon arrival at the airport in Botswana.

Having these additional papers are as obligatory as having a passport. As such the airline may ask to see these documents at check-in. Failure to provide these documents may result in your exclusion from the flight. We thus recommend that you keep these documents in your hand luggage, for easy access.
For more information and answers to frequently asked questions please read this document 
Or contact your local Botswanan Embassy or the Botswanan Department of Home Affairs.

See also: http://www.botswanaembassy.org/article/new-requirements-for-minors-travelling-through-all-botswana-points-of-entry​