Visa
Citizens of Russia to visit Zambia require a visa, which can be obtained directly at the border (at Lusaka International Airport or at any other border crossing) or in advance, at the consular section of the Embassy of Zambia in Moscow. Getting a visa at the border usually does not cause any difficulties – you need a passport and a return ticket. Also on the spot you can get a double and multivisa. It makes sense to apply to the consular department for a visa for 90 days, the visa fee is identical to that charged at the border.
It is possible to issue a single visa to Zambia and Zimbabwe, which makes it possible to travel through the territory of the two countries without restrictions and visit Botswana for a day. The cost of KAZA Visa is $50. You can get a single visa only at border crossings; they are not issued at the Zimbabwean embassy and the consulate of Zambia.
Customs regulations
According to A2zgov, duty-free import of up to 200 cigarettes or 450 g of tobacco, up to 1 liter of spirits, food, household items and items within personal needs is allowed in Zambia.
The import of foreign currency into Zambia is not restricted. The amount of currency allowed for export is 10 thousand US dollars.
The export of ivory products is allowed only with the appropriate certificate of the established form issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Zambia. This requirement also applies to the export of wild animal skins, souvenir coins, etc.
The import of drugs, gas and firearms, ammunition for them, chemicals, pyrotechnics, printed materials and obscene video materials is prohibited.
It is forbidden to export precious and semi-precious stones in their raw form (emerald, aquamarine, tourmaline, malachite, amethyst are mined in the country and are considered a strategic commodity).
Language
There are many indigenous languages and dialects in Zambia (over 72), all of them from the Bantu group. The official language is English, which is also the main language for doing business and getting education.
Banks and currency
The monetary unit is the Zambian kwacha (K), equal to 100 ngwee with the international symbol ZMW. In circulation there are banknotes in denominations of 100, 50, 20, 10, 5 and 2 kwachas and coins in denominations of 1, 50, 10 and 50 ngwee. However, some prices are often quoted in US dollars, so it is possible to use US dollars and British pounds. January 2019 1 USD = approximately 11.9 ZMW.
In cities, you can exchange cash and travelers checks at Barclays Bank and Standard Chartered Bank branches. Large branches have ATMs that accept Visa cards. Exchange offices are easy to find in cities.
Banks are usually open on weekdays from 08:00 to 15:30 and from 08:00 to 12:00 on Saturdays. Banks are closed on Sundays and public holidays.
Travel and transport
Proflight flies from Lusaka to Mfuwe (South Luangwa), Livingston and the Copper Belt, as well as charter flights. Various charter airlines fly to numerous airstrips across the country, so you can fly to most attractions.
In terms of public transport, there are many taxis available in Zambia. Prices are negotiable. There is good bus service to Chipata, Livingston, Copper Belt and Harare, but they do not always follow strict schedules. The main bus stop is located on Dedan Kimati Street in Lusaka, where you can find the timetable. Other private bus companies offer more reliable services to Livingston, Harare and Johannesburg.
Long-distance buses depart frequently from Lusaka to all major cities. The intercity bus terminal is one road up from Cairo Road at the station. Minibuses and taxis, local transport – everything is painted in blue, everywhere you can jump in at almost any moment. They are not expensive, and you can always find a minibus in which you can buy all the seats for not too much money and go where you want to go, but for this you will have to negotiate.
Zambia has 38,763 km of roads, about 10,000 km of which are tarmac and another 8,000 km are gravel. The rest range from acceptable to poor dirt roads. If you are traveling in Zambia by car, it is best to bring a range of tools and necessary spare parts with you.
Be very careful, especially if you are driving at night, because there are usually no markings on the road. Beware of animals on the road, vehicles without lights, pedestrians, unannounced road works, bad drivers and broken trucks without warning triangles. If you see a tree branch on the road, slow down immediately – these are impromptu warning triangles, and there must be a truck or car ahead. Make sure you have all the documents for the car, as you will definitely run into several checkpoints.
Security
In general, Zambia is a very safe country, although in cities and tourist areas there is always a chance to become a victim of robbers or scammers. You can reduce the risk if you remember to take reasonable precautions, such as leaving your passport and large amounts of money in a hotel safe.
