The Chinese Embassy in Lusaka published a revised ‘Guideline on Visa Application’ on 18 September, streamlining the online submission process and extending a 20 percent fee reduction on ordinary visas through 31 December 2026. Applicants must first obtain electronic pre-approval via the China Online Visa Application (COVA) portal, then submit passports in person for final issuance—bringing Zambia into line with the fully digital workflow already used in South Africa and Kenya. Key operational changes include: (1) mandatory account registration on the COVA site; (2) a one-week target for online document review; and (3) embassy-issued bar-coded collection slips that specify exact pick-up times. The Embassy also published a detailed fee table in Zambian kwacha and reminded applicants that payment is accepted only at Bank of China branches, not at the counter. For mobility teams relocating Chinese staff to Zambia—or sending Zambian employees to China—the extension of reduced fees lowers cost-of-move budgets. Zambian passport holders now pay ZMW 845 for a single-entry visa, down from ZMW 1,055 before the pandemic. Nationals of the United States and Canada continue to benefit from prior reciprocal reductions. The update comes as China seeks to deepen Belt and Road cooperation with Zambia’s mining and agriculture sectors. Faster, cheaper visa issuance is expected to boost bilateral travel volume ahead of the sixth China–Africa Economic and Trade Expo in Changsha next year. Companies should circulate the new guidelines to travellers immediately, confirm that local HR in Lusaka understands the digital pre-screening step, and schedule passport drop-offs early to meet project start-dates.
Source: Embassy of China in Zambia
