Zimbabwe: Foreign Travel Advice
Foreign travel advice
Zimbabwe
Safety and security
Crime
There is a moderate level of crime, including occasional armed robberies targeting foreign residents.
Make sure your accommodation is secure at all times. Mugging, pick pocketing and jewellery theft are common in city centres, especially after dark. Be particularly careful at Harare airport, and when leaving banks and cash points. Don’t carry large amounts of cash.People travelling around alone may be more vulnerable to crime.
Carry a photocopy of your Zimbabwean Resident ID or a photocopy of your passport. If you lose your passport, you will need to get a police report and contact the British Embassy in Harare for a replacement travel document.
There have been thefts and smash and grab robberies from vehicles, especially at main intersections along the route to Harare Airport and on the Masvingo-Beitbridge road. You should be particularly vigilant when using these routes. Keep vehicle doors locked and windows closed. Be particularly careful at night and at filling stations. Don’t leave your vehicle unattended in unguarded areas in towns.
Local travel
Zimbabwe has many safari lodges and game reserves. Safety standards vary, and you should check whether operators are trained and licensed. There have been a number of incidents in which animals have attacked visitors resulting in injuries and, in some cases, death. Some activities, such as walking or canoe safaris, could pose risks to personal safety. You should treat wild animals with caution and respect, and keep a safe distance from them at all times.
Flash flooding during the rainy season (November to February) can make some roads impassable.
There are frequent power cuts that affect the whole country, sometimes for days at a time, as well as occasional fuel and water shortages. The Zimbabwean mobile phone network and landlines are unreliable. Rural areas
Most of Zimbabwe’s commercial farms have been occupied or taken over by members of the National
War
Zimbabwe
Safety and security
Crime
There is a moderate level of crime, including occasional armed robberies targeting foreign residents.
Make sure your accommodation is secure at all times. Mugging, pick pocketing and jewellery theft are common in city centres, especially after dark. Be particularly careful at Harare airport, and when leaving banks and cash points. Don’t carry large amounts of cash.People travelling around alone may be more vulnerable to crime.
Carry a photocopy of your Zimbabwean Resident ID or a photocopy of your passport. If you lose your passport, you will need to get a police report and contact the British Embassy in Harare for a replacement travel document.
There have been thefts and smash and grab robberies from vehicles, especially at main intersections along the route to Harare Airport and on the Masvingo-Beitbridge road. You should be particularly vigilant when using these routes. Keep vehicle doors locked and windows closed. Be particularly careful at night and at filling stations. Don’t leave your vehicle unattended in unguarded areas in towns.
Local travel
Zimbabwe has many safari lodges and game reserves. Safety standards vary, and you should check whether operators are trained and licensed. There have been a number of incidents in which animals have attacked visitors resulting in injuries and, in some cases, death. Some activities, such as walking or canoe safaris, could pose risks to personal safety. You should treat wild animals with caution and respect, and keep a safe distance from them at all times.
Flash flooding during the rainy season (November to February) can make some roads impassable.
There are frequent power cuts that affect the whole country, sometimes for days at a time, as well as occasional fuel and water shortages. The Zimbabwean mobile phone network and landlines are unreliable. Rural areas
Most of Zimbabwe’s commercial farms have been occupied or taken over by members of the National
War