Which African countries are open for travel and when will flights resume?

Mauritius

This Indian Ocean island has reported no confirmed cases of COVID-19 Since 11 May 2020 and international commercial flights will remain suspended until the 31st of  August 2020. Air Mauritius announced that their flights are scheduled to resume on the 1st of September 2020, subject to the opening of borders and the lifting of travel restrictions.

Rwanda

The Republic of Rwanda opened its borders to approved tourism charter flights into Kigali International Airport on the 17th June and will continue to monitor the global situation before allowing scheduled commercial flights. 

Visitors must have been tested in their country of origin at an ISO-certified laboratory, 72 hours before departure and proof of a negative result must be submitted to the Rwandan government. A document certifying the negative result should also be available for inspection at the arrival airport. A second test for COVID-19 test must be taken upon arrival at Kigali International Airport and visitors will be required to wait at designated hotels in Rwanda for about 8 hours for the test results.

If a visitor has been unable to test in their country of origin, they can be tested twice in Rwanda, first upon arrival at Kigali International Airport and subsequently 48 hours later. 

All tourists will be allowed to visit Rwanda's attractions and destinations after testing negative for COVID-19 in two consecutive tests. Departing visitors will also be offered a COVID-19 test at the airport, the cost of which will be included in the visitors' tour packages.

Seychelles

The Seychelles started reopening its borders to visitors from low-risk countries travelling via private jets and direct chartered flights on the 1st of June. Travellers are required to inform the Seychelles Department of Health of their negative COVID-19 test results prior to departure and tests should have been carried out 48 hours or less before boarding the aircraft. They should also keep a copy of the documentation available for inspection upon arrival in the Seychelles. 

Upon arrival, visitors will complete further health check forms and be subjected to symptomatic checks, temperature scans and potential antigen tests.

Currently, only visitors from Australia, Austria, Botswana, China, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Japan, Luxembourg, Mauritius, Monaco, Namibia, New Zealand, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland and Thailand are allowed to travel to the Seychelles. However, Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Serbia, and South Korea look to be in good control of the virus and entry could be relaxed to visitors from these countries mid-July.

Tanzania

International flights to and from Tanzania have been permitted since the 18th of May but under very strict conditions. However, from the 1st of June, visitors will not be required to undergo 14 days quarantine but will still have to adhere to strict precautions against the spread of the Coronavirus. All hotels and other tourist facilities in the country have to have gone through a COVID-19 certification process, placing official documents at the entrances of all facilities as confirmation. 

Regardless of their originating country, if a passenger records a normal body temperature upon arrival, they will be able to enter the country without being quarantined.

Namibia

Currently, Namibia is not issuing visas and has implemented a travel ban on foreign nationals from coronavirus-affected countries such as China, Iran, Korea, UK, USA, Japan, and the Schengen states. However, it is looking to relax its border controls for selected countries yet to be confirmed, from the 1st of July.

Visitors will be screened at all points of entry and returning Namibians and permanent residents arriving from affected countries will be subject to a 14-day, supervised self-quarantine.

South Africa

The South African government is currently banning travel to the country from high-risk countries, cancelling foreign visitor visas and revoking previously granted visas. The reopening dates for international tourism have not been defined but the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) is advocating for a phased reopening of international tourism from as soon as September 2020.

Botswana

The Government of Botswana has currently banned the entry of all visitors (except residents) from high-risk countries. A date for the reopening of borders is unknown at this time.

Kenya

Kenya extended its ban on international flights for a further 30 days, as from the 7th of June 2020. Only Kenyan citizens and people with valid residency permits will be allowed to enter, subject to self-quarantine or quarantine at a facility designated by the government. 

Mozambique

Mozambique has suspended international passenger flights, as well as the issuance of visas and travel documents until further notice.

Uganda

Entebbe International Airport remains closed and there is no indication of when Uganda will reopen for tourism. All the country’s national parks and primate parks are also closed.

Zambia

Zambia is not issuing visitor visas and travellers arriving with existing visitor visas or applying for visas on arrival for non-essential purposes are not being permitted entry. Currently, all international flights are redirected to land and depart from Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka, and non-essential travel to countries with confirmed COVID-19 cases are suspended.

All international visitors are screened on arrival with a mandatory minimum quarantine of 14 days being required for all travellers from high-risk areas. Visitors will be isolated at certain government facilities or designated lodges and hotels at their own cost while awaiting test results.

Zimbabwe

Subject to fortnightly reviews,  Zimbabwe’s borders are closed except to returning Zimbabwean nationals and permit holders.

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