Is It Safe to Travel to Zambia in 2026?
Zambia - Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions
Last updated: · Source: U.S. Department of State
Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered to the north by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique to the southeast, Zimbabwe and Botswana to the south, Namibia to the southwest, and Angola to the west.
Is It Safe to Travel to Zambia in 2026?
Zambia is currently rated Level 1 — Exercise Normal Precautions by the U.S. Department of State. Exercise normal precautions in Zambia. Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
Traveler Impact
Solo travelers may face petty crime, particularly in urban areas like Lusaka; staying vigilant and avoiding isolated areas is advised.
Business travelers can expect reliable infrastructure in major cities, though occasional bureaucratic delays may disrupt schedules.
Families with children should be cautious of health risks like malaria and limited access to pediatric healthcare outside urban centers.
Remote workers can find good connectivity in urban areas, but should be prepared for potential health risks and ensure proper vaccinations.
Data on this page comes from the U.S. Department of State, the CDC, the World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, and Freedom House. All sources are updated regularly and cross-referenced to provide a composite safety picture for Zambia.
▶Safety and Stability Ratings
Threat Severity (0-10 scale)
Zambia has an overall threat severity of 1.7 out of 10. Crime risk is rated 3.5/10, terrorism risk 0.0/10, and kidnapping risk 0.0/10.
Governance Indicators (World Bank, percentile)
Political Stability▶
Measures the likelihood that the government will be destabilized or overthrown by unconstitutional or violent means, including politically-motivated violence and terrorism. Higher percentile means greater stability.
Rule of Law▶
Captures perceptions of the extent to which agents have confidence in and abide by the rules of society, including the quality of contract enforcement, property rights, the police, and the courts, as well as the likelihood of crime and violence.
Control of Corruption▶
Captures perceptions of the extent to which public power is exercised for private gain, including both petty and grand forms of corruption, as well as capture of the state by elites and private interests.
Government Effectiveness▶
Captures perceptions of the quality of public services, the quality of the civil service and the degree of its independence from political pressures, the quality of policy formulation and implementation, and the credibility of the government's commitment to such policies.
Regulatory Quality▶
Captures perceptions of the ability of the government to formulate and implement sound policies and regulations that permit and promote private sector development.
Voice & Accountability▶
Captures perceptions of the extent to which a country's citizens are able to participate in selecting their government, as well as freedom of expression, freedom of association, and a free media.
Data from World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators (2023).
Freedom Status: Partly Free — scored 54/100 by Freedom House (2024). View full freedom profile →
▶Entry Requirements and Health
Entry Information
Visa
Check embassy for details
Currency
Zambian Kwacha (ZMW)
Language
English
Vaccinations
Required:
- Yellow Fever: Vaccine is required for travelers ≥1 year old; this includes >12-hour airport transits or layovers in countries with risk for YF virus transmission.
Recommended:
⚠ Malaria Risk: high
Recommended medications: Atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine, tafenoquine
Active health notices:
- watchGlobal Measles: Measles cases are rising in many countries around the world. All international travelers should be fully vaccinated against measles with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to CDC's measles vaccination recommendations for international travel.
- alertEast African Sleeping Sickness in Zambia and Zimbabwe: There have been several cases of East African human trypanosomiasis among travelers returning from safari areas in Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Vaccination data sourced from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Consult a travel health professional before your trip.
Common Questions About Traveling to Zambia
▶What is the current travel advisory level for Zambia?
▶Is it safe to travel to Zambia right now?
▶Do I need a visa to visit Zambia?
▶What vaccines do I need for Zambia?
▶Is Zambia safe for solo travelers?
▶How bad is crime in Zambia?
More Zambia Data
Partly Free — 54/100 on the Freedom House index.
Governance indicators including rule of law, corruption control, and regulatory quality.
View all 195 countries color-coded by advisory level.
Read the full advisory on travel.state.gov.
Access this data programmatically. Free tier available.
On-demand country risk PDFs from 6 government sources.