Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your period of stay in the United States, unless exempt by country-specific agreements (PDF, 22 KB). If you are planning to travel with family/children each person needs a valid passport and visa and must submit a separate application.

• Completed Online Non-Immigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160

Please note that you must answer EVERY question on the application forms. If the answer to a question is “none,” please write “none” (Do not leave it blank). Failure to complete all questions will result in an error message and denied access to the online visa appointment system.

Note! For best results when accessing the online visa application system use Google Chrome or Internet Explorer.

Only a passport, DS-160 confirmation page, a 5 x 5 cm color photo not older than 6 months – with a white background, and the forms listed in Step 2 are required for the visa interview.  Additional documents may be requested to establish if you are qualified. For example, additional requested documents may include evidence of:

• The purpose of your trip;
• Your intent to depart the United States after your trip; and/or
• Your ability to pay all costs of the trip.

Note: Visa applicants must qualify on the basis of the applicant’s residence and ties abroad, rather than assurances from U.S. family and friends. A letter of invitation or Affidavit of Support is not needed to apply for a Non-Immigrant tourist visa. If you do choose to bring a letter of invitation or Affidavit of Support to your interview, please remember that it is not one of the factors that we use in determining whether to issue or deny a Non-Immigrant tourist visa.

To schedule an appointment for a Non-Immigrant visa (NIV) interview, please click on the Embassy’s online NIV Appointment System. Please have your DS-160 Online Non-Immigrant Visa Application Form Confirmation Number handy as you will need this to book your appointment online. It is located on your DS-160 confirmation page, in bold print.  Do not expect a confirmation email or phone call once you have booked your appointment.

On the day of your interview, please pay the non-refundable visa application fee listed for your category of visa. Fee categories can be found at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/fees/fees-visa-services.html.

We accept cash only in the form of Botswana Pula or U.S. Dollars.  U.S. Dollars must be crisp, undamaged and dated after 2007.  The price in Pula will be determined by the exchange rate on the day of payment.

During your visa interview, a consular officer will determine whether you are qualified to receive a visa, and if so, which visa category is appropriate based on your purpose of travel. You will need to establish that you meet the requirements under U.S. law to receive the category of visa for which you are applying.

Ink-free, digital fingerprint scans will be taken as part of your application process. Scans will be taken during your interview.

Depending on your nationality if your visa is approved, you will need to pay a Reciprocity Fee determined by the type of visa issued. To check whether you are subject to Reciprocity Fees please go to travel.state.gov.

(Note: Botswana citizens are not subject to Reciprocity Fees.)

If you are issued a visa, processing normally takes about (2) business days for collection. Hours of collection are between 1400h to 1500h Monday through Thursday.