For a semester in Botswana, the European Health Insurance Card does not apply, so you need private travel health insurance. According to the Federal Foreign Office, no visa is needed for stays of up to 90 days per calendar year. For longer stays the page advises obtaining a visa in advance, but it does not mention study. There is no travel warning for Botswana. If you enter from a yellow fever area, you need proof of vaccination from the age of one year. The DAAD uses a reference rate of 800 euros for students.
Study abroad in Botswana at a glance
| Point | Information (status October 2026) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Health insurance | The European Health Insurance Card is not listed for Botswana, so private travel health insurance is needed | European Commission, EHIC FAQ (no date) |
| Visa | No visa for up to 90 days per calendar year, for longer stays the page advises obtaining a visa in advance, study not mentioned | Federal Foreign Office (status 24.10.2026) |
| Yellow fever | Proof of vaccination from the age of one year when entering from a yellow fever area | Federal Foreign Office |
| Tuition fees | No official figure is documented, your exchange agreement decides | No official source documented |
| Living costs | DAAD reference rate for students: 800 euros, without a time period (listed there as Botswana) | DAAD scholarship rates (no date) |
| Study abroad BAföG | Possible after at least one study year in Germany, responsible office according to DSW allocation: Studierendenwerk Ost:Brandenburg | German National Association for Student Affairs leaflet (status January 2026) |
All information here is general and not individual advice. The linked official pages are the binding reference.
How are you insured in Botswana?
The European Health Insurance Card does not apply in Botswana
The European Health Insurance Card applies in the EU member states, the European Economic Area, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The European Commission does not list Botswana in its FAQ on the card. Your statutory health insurance card therefore does not entitle you to treatment in Botswana, and care follows the local rules. Doctors may ask for full payment or an advance.
We found no documented social security agreement with Botswana that covers health insurance, so we do not name one. Before you leave, ask your health insurer in writing whether your coverage continues unchanged during the semester. The basics for statutory insured students are explained in our German guide Health insurance during a semester abroad: what applies?.
The Foreign Office notes that doctors and hospitals in many countries expect bills to be settled before discharge or ask for an advance. Plan enough money to cover a treatment until your insurer or your health fund reimburses the costs.
Private travel health insurance and repatriation
The European Health Insurance Card never replaces private travel health insurance. According to the European Commission, repatriation to Germany after a serious illness or an accident is not covered. Ask your insurer whether your policy includes an air ambulance flight to Germany. Background is in our German guide Travel health insurance for Erasmus, the USA and work and travel.
Do you need a visa for Botswana?
According to the Federal Foreign Office, no visa is needed for stays of up to 90 days per calendar year. For stays beyond that, the page advises obtaining a visa in advance. The page does not mention study. We therefore do not state a rule for study of our own, because we found no documented official rule for it.
The embassy or consulate of the Republic of Botswana in Germany gives binding answers on documents, fees and deadlines. Plan this early, because a stay of more than 90 days may require a visa before departure.
Yellow fever vaccination proof
The Federal Foreign Office names a requirement for proof of yellow fever vaccination for people who enter from a yellow fever area. The proof applies from the age of one year. If you have been in a yellow fever area before, bring your vaccination record and check the proof before departure.
According to the Federal Foreign Office, there is no travel warning for Botswana (status of the page 24.10.2026). The safety notes on the page on crime, natural hazards and conduct on site still apply.
What does a semester in Botswana cost?
Tuition fees
Which fees apply at the host university depends on your exchange agreement. We do not name a general amount because we found no official figure. Ask your home university and the host university before you accept an offer.
Living costs
We do not state a documented monthly amount for living costs. Ask your host university for its budget for exchange students.
The DAAD uses a scholarship rate of 800 euros for students in Botswana. The DAAD list names the country as Botswana. This is a reference rate, not a budget. The list carries no date and gives the amount without a time period.
Funding: Erasmus+ and study abroad BAföG
Botswana appears in the list of the European Commission under the third countries that are not associated with the programme, in the region of Sub-Saharan Africa. The list names these countries only for certain actions and under certain conditions. Ask your international office whether an exchange with Botswana can be funded this way.
Study abroad BAföG is available for a partial study period abroad after at least one study year in Germany. According to the DSW allocation, the responsible office is the Studierendenwerk Ost:Brandenburg, Amt für Ausbildungsförderung. The leaflet names this office for Africa and Oceania without Australia and does not assign individual countries. It requires a permanent residence in Germany. The application should be filed about six months before the start, funding begins with the month of the application and at the earliest with the start of study. The leaflet covers tuition fees up to 5,600 euros, for one year at most. More is in our German guide Study abroad BAföG: eligibility, amounts and supplements.
For training outside the EU and Switzerland there is a monthly foreign supplement under the BAföG foreign supplement ordinance. The amount is a percentage that the Foreign Office sets. The country amounts are not in the text of the ordinance, so we do not state a euro sum for Botswana.
Cost example
For Botswana no documented fixed amount exists. The Foreign Office page names no visa fee. A cost example is therefore not possible. Living costs, host university fees, flights and travel health insurance can only be estimated with offers from your university and your insurer.
How to prepare before you leave
- Ask your health insurer in writing how you are insured during the semester, before you sign the study agreement with the host university.
- Take out travel health and repatriation insurance and check whether it covers an air ambulance flight to Germany.
- Check with the embassy or consulate whether a stay of more than 90 days needs a visa.
- Check your yellow fever vaccination proof if you enter from a yellow fever area.
- Ask your home university which fees the exchange agreement covers, and ask the host university for its budget for exchange students.
- File the study abroad BAföG application with the Studierendenwerk Ost:Brandenburg about six months before the start, if you qualify.
- Get advice on vaccinations and keep routine vaccinations current.
Frequent questions
Is my European Health Insurance Card valid in Botswana?
No. The European Commission names the EU member states, the European Economic Area, Switzerland and the United Kingdom as its area of validity. Botswana is not part of it. You therefore need private travel health insurance with repatriation cover.
Do I need a visa for Botswana?
Not for stays of up to 90 days per calendar year, according to the Federal Foreign Office. For longer stays the page advises obtaining a visa in advance. The embassy can confirm whether study needs a different rule.
Do I have to pay tuition fees in Botswana?
That depends on the exchange agreement of your home university. We do not name a general fee because no official figure is documented. Ask your university before you accept an offer.
How much money do I need for living costs in Botswana?
We do not state a documented monthly amount. The DAAD uses a scholarship rate of 800 euros for students as a reference value without a time period. Ask your host university for its budget.
Is there a travel warning for Botswana?
According to the Federal Foreign Office, there is no travel warning. Note the yellow fever proof required when you enter from a yellow fever area.
Who is responsible for study abroad BAföG for Botswana?
According to the DSW allocation, the Studierendenwerk Ost:Brandenburg, Amt für Ausbildungsförderung. The leaflet names this office for Africa and Oceania without Australia and does not assign individual countries.
Sources
- Federal Foreign Office, Botswana: travel and safety notice (status of the page 24.10.2026), link
- European Commission, FAQ on the European Health Insurance Card (no date), link
- European Commission, Erasmus+ programme countries and third countries (retrieved 25.10.2026), link
- DAAD, scholarship rates for students and doctoral candidates (no date), link
- German National Association for Student Affairs, leaflet on study abroad BAföG (status January 2026), link
- Federal Ministry of Justice, BAföG foreign supplement ordinance (last amended 15.07.2022), link
Sources retrieved on 25.10.2026 unless stated otherwise. The German sources are in German.
Related reading
- Study abroad in Namibia: insurance, visa, costs
- Study abroad in Mauritius: insurance, visa, costs
- Health insurance during a semester abroad: what applies?
- Study abroad BAföG: eligibility, amounts and supplements
- All countries for your semester abroad at a glance
You can check your situation with the online check at check.academycon.de.
Status: October 2026. This guide gives general information and does not replace individual advice.
