Passport pages required for Southern Africa

[sammy410]

Hi there, we are currently in SA with just 3 empty pages leftt on our passports (British). Does anyone know how many pages will be used up for visas / stamps for visits to Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana and then back to SA.

From searching different forums, i think Botswana is just small stamps so it may be possible to do on our current passports? I know SA rules require 2 clean pages but maybe at land borders that wont be too big an issue? We have some odd spaces for enty/exit stamps on already used pages.

As we are not from mainland UK, our passport office is proving exceptionally awkward about issuing us new ones whilst on the road.

If anyone has these entry, exit and visa stamps in their passports, i'd appreciate any advice

Many thanks!

[CREER]

I have 7 stamps on one page between SA & Botswana (7th is actually Senegal for some reason!) If they'd all been a little neater an 8th and 9th would have fitted in too. The Senegal stamp is about 30% bigger than SA & Botswana's - if you have a Senegal stamp already in yours??

[sammy410]

Thanks CREER.. Yep got a Senegal stamp (West Africa being the reason for the almost full passport!) so thats really helpful to compare.

Depending what malawi & Mozambique do it may be possible then :-)

[Warin]

Originally Posted by sammy410

As we are not from mainland UK, our passport office is proving exceptionally awkward about issuing us new ones whilst on the road.

New rules, 'exceptionally awkward' for all.

[Wazungu]

For Zambia, Malawi, Botswana and South Africa a total of 7 pages were used in my passport. The Zambia sticker visa takes up one whole page - and they stamped in and out on the opposite page. South Africa's visa stamp takes up half a page. Malawi visa for us was just a stamp and then the entry and exit stamps (which could just take half a page with careful stamping). Botswana was just stamps. Mozambique sticker visa takes up a whole page.

Try getting a new passport at the British High Commission in Pretoria. They will see and understand your problem.

[sammy410]

Thank you Wazungo... Thats really helpful advice and much appreciated

[pjmancktelow]

I'm wondering a similar thing. I'm heading down the western route to Cape Town from London. How many pages did West Africa clock you up? My passport is relatively new, but already has a few stamps and visa's in it


Any thoughts on how many pages my route my take up?

[Wazungu]

I would imagine a lot of pages. When we travelled down the east side, we had a UK "jumbo" passport. If I were you, I would get a new passport with the extra pages. It wouldn't be much fun being stuck in West Africa with not enough pages left in your passport.

[pjmancktelow]

Cheers, I suspected this might be the case. And you're 100% right. Not a place to be running out of pages!


Off to the post office I'll have to go!