Living in Botswana as a French National: The Practical Guide

Botswana appeals first for its landscapes and wildlife: the Okavango Delta, Chobe National Park, the Kalahari desert. France Diplomatie describes a semi-arid climate, English as the official language and Setswana as the national language, which makes settling in easier for a French speaker who speaks English. The whole territory is classed as requiring heightened vigilance, mainly because of road risk and the limited capacity of health services, and incidents of crime remain relatively few according to the same source.

• Strengths: space, nature, widely spoken English, visa-free entry, a city life organised around a few hubs, the seat of regional organisations (SADC has its headquarters there).
• Points of caution: long distances, no direct flight to Europe (connection via Johannesburg or Addis Ababa), little urban public transport, possible water cuts in Gaborone, an unevenly distributed health system.
• Administrative isolation: the French embassy in Gaborone issues neither passports nor travel documents; other consular procedures fall to the Consulate General in Johannesburg.

For a first stay, a trial period of a few months on the three-month entry stamp lets you test the city, the climate and the pace of life before starting a permit application.

Gaborone, the capital, concentrates the administrations, the embassies, the university and most skilled jobs; it is the most frequent destination for expatriates who work locally. France Diplomatie also names Francistown, the second city of the north-east, and Molepolole among the country’s main urban areas.

Maun, the gateway to the Okavango Delta, attracts tourism and conservation professionals. The north of the country (Ngamiland, Okavango, Chobe) is also the area where malaria carries the highest risk according to France Diplomatie, which weighs on the choice of a place to live with young children. By contrast, the south, around Gaborone and Lobatse, presents a risk considered very low.

France Diplomatie recommends increased vigilance in Gaborone, Francistown and Maun, the three towns where bag snatching and other acts of violence have recently been reported. Visiting a home in daytime and checking the water supply are common-sense precautions, given the cuts that have been reported.

No official price index is reproduced here: Statistics Botswana publishes the consumer price index, and the latest inflation level appears in the “Economic indicators” block of this page. Foreign trade gives a qualitative clue: South Africa is Botswana’s leading trading partner with 77% of the market according to France Diplomatie, so many everyday products follow South African prices.

No official rent figure was read for this guide: housing budgets vary by city and neighbourhood and should be confirmed with several landlords before any commitment. It is advisable to ask for the previous months’ water and electricity bills and to read the lease term, the security deposit and the termination conditions carefully.

Payment methods are common: France Diplomatie indicates that credit cards, traveller’s cheques and cash are accepted, that currencies can be exchanged at banks and that many shopkeepers accept cards. In the towns, cash machines are guarded by a security guard. The currency is the pula.

French nationals do not need a visa. The entry stamp, issued free of charge at border posts, cannot exceed three months; the length is left to the discretion of the immigration officer, who stamps the passport, and a longer period can be requested within the limit of 90 days a year. The passport must remain valid for at least six months after entry.

Beyond three months, a residence permit is mandatory. France Diplomatie specifies that it requires presenting an employment contract, one’s own or a spouse’s. The form and the supporting documents are published by Botswana’s immigration department; an application should be planned several months ahead and the amount of the fees should be confirmed with that department.

Minors must present, in addition to the passport, a full certified copy of the birth certificate (or a multilingual certificate); if they travel with only one parent, an authorisation signed by the other parent is required. French nationals who settle are invited to register on the register of French nationals living abroad, via the Consulate General in Johannesburg.

The France Diplomatie pages devoted to Botswana mention no establishment of the French education network abroad; the directory of the Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE) and the French embassy in Gaborone remain the sources to consult before departure. Families who wish to keep the French curriculum compare distance-learning solutions and local schools, and this guide cannot recommend one.

As English is the official language, a child already used to it adapts faster. It is useful to find out, before enrolling, about local school calendars, fees, the exams taken and the conditions for mid-year admission. This information comes from Botswana’s Ministry of Education and from each school.

For adult students, admission and residence conditions should be checked with the chosen institution and the immigration department. Student health insurance is detailed on the page student insurance abroad.

France Diplomatie classes the whole of Botswana as requiring heightened vigilance. Road risks are high and emergency services may be slow to respond; night driving is discouraged, car insurance is essential and journeys outside the large towns must be prepared carefully (GPS, satellite phone, five litres of water per person, first-aid kit, spare wheel, enough fuel).

In national parks, it is strongly advised to use an experienced guide, not to leave the vehicle without authorisation and to avoid swimming in lakes and rivers. Local rules include sentences of up to 25 years in prison for narcotics, a ban on photographing official buildings and military installations, and strict control of ivory and animal parts.

The embassy has limited means to help French nationals in a crisis: each traveller is responsible for their own safety and should check their insurance contract. Registering with the Fil d’Ariane service (the ministry’s alert subscription) makes it possible to receive the ministry’s alerts. Health information is detailed on the page the healthcare system in Botswana.

The climate is semi-arid; droughts of varying length regularly affect the country, and water production, storage and distribution can cause cuts in Gaborone and its region. Keeping a domestic water reserve and a shelter for periods of intense heat is part of local habits.

Traffic drives on the left, seat belts are mandatory in the front and rear, and a valid French licence is not enough: the international driving permit is requested in France before departure. Apart from a few major tarmac routes, the network consists mostly of tracks, notably in tourist areas. There is no structured urban public transport network, but buses link the main towns and neighbouring capitals (Harare, Johannesburg, Lusaka) every day.

The fixed and mobile telephone network is relatively good in towns; most safari camps in the north (Okavango and Chobe) are out of coverage and their managers communicate by radio. To take stock of health and the cover to plan, the next step is the page expat health insurance.