Is There a Canadian Embassy in Botswana? 2026 Guide

For travellers planning Botswana safari packages, Canada’s local consular contact is the Honorary Consulate of Canada in Gaborone. Canada’s embassy accredited to Botswana is in Harare, Zimbabwe. Canadian citizens who need urgent help can contact Canada’s Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Last checked September 2026. Always confirm with official sources before travelling. This is general information, not legal advice. Consular contacts, opening hours and entry rules can change.

Quick answer: where is the Canada embassy in Botswana?

There is no Canadian embassy or high commission in Botswana. Canada has an Honorary Consulate in Gaborone, while the Embassy of Canada in Harare is accredited to Botswana.

• Honorary Consulate of Canada in Gaborone: 9th floor, iTowers North, Lot 54368, Gaborone, Botswana.
• Telephone: +267 3160 926 or +267 3160 946.
• Email: canada@consul.co.bw.
• Emergency help at any time: Canada’s Emergency Watch and Response Centre, +1 613 996 8885. You can also text +1 613 686 3658, use WhatsApp at +1 613 909 8881, use Signal at +1 613 909 8087, or email sos@international.gc.ca.
• Local emergency numbers in Botswana: police 999, medical assistance 997, and firefighters 998.

The Gaborone office provides consular services and general enquiries for Canadians visiting or living in Botswana. The official office page lists citizenship services, death abroad, legal matters and passport services among the available areas of help.

Consular staff can give information and help you contact the right Canadian or local service. The supplied official information does not promise payment of medical bills, replacement of safari costs, private legal representation or evacuation. Ask the consulate or the Emergency Watch and Response Centre what assistance is available in your situation, and keep suitable travel insurance for your safari.

Contact details and opening hours

The Honorary Consulate of Canada in Gaborone is the first Canadian contact for routine consular enquiries in Botswana. Canada’s official country page lists the Gaborone office first and identifies the Embassy of Canada in Harare as the embassy that also provides services to Canadians in Botswana.

Contact	Details
Office	Consulate of Canada to Botswana, in Gaborone
Address	9th floor, iTowers North, Lot 54368, Gaborone, Botswana
Telephone	+267 3160 926 or +267 3160 946
Email	canada@consul.co.bw
Listed office hours	Tuesday and Thursday, 09:00 to 12:00, by appointment
Emergency service	Available 24/7 through Canada’s emergency consular system

The consulate is listed as closed on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Its official page says that hours may change during a large-scale emergency. Contact the office before travelling across Gaborone to attend an appointment, especially if you are staying at a lodge outside the capital.

For urgent assistance outside the consulate’s listed hours, contact the Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa rather than waiting for the office to reopen. Canada says its consular services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

If your safari operator is arranging airport transfers, lodge changes or a delayed domestic connection, speak to the operator first for those booking matters. The consulate deals with consular issues, not ordinary itinerary changes. For trip planning, also review how money, cards and tipping work in Botswana before you leave.

Is there a Canadian embassy in Botswana?

No. Canada does not have a resident embassy in Botswana. Canada’s official listing identifies a consulate in Gaborone and an Embassy of Canada in Harare that serves Botswana as part of its consular district.

That distinction matters if you are searching for a “Canada embassy in Botswana” on a map. The Gaborone office is the relevant local Canadian contact, but it is an honorary consulate with limited listed hours, not a full embassy. Routine matters should be directed to the Gaborone office, while urgent cases can go to Ottawa’s 24/7 emergency service.

How to register your trip with Canada

Canadian citizens can use Canada’s Registration of Canadians Abroad service before travelling. The Government of Canada lists “Register as a Canadian abroad” among its travel support links for Botswana.

Registration gives the Canadian government a way to communicate with you about a serious emergency or changing conditions affecting Canadians in the country. Register before you travel, and update your contact and itinerary details if your plans change. The official research supplied for this article does not state that registration replaces travel insurance or guarantees evacuation, so do not treat it as a substitute for either.

Registration is particularly sensible for a safari because travellers may spend several days away from Gaborone, with limited mobile coverage and fixed lodge departure dates. Keep your operator’s emergency number, your insurer’s assistance number and your Canadian passport details somewhere you can access offline.

What to do if your Canadian passport is lost or stolen

Contact the Honorary Consulate of Canada in Gaborone as soon as you discover that your passport is missing. The official consulate page specifically lists passport services, including what to do if a passport is lost, stolen or damaged.

1. Stop and check your documents, luggage and accommodation before reporting the passport missing. If it is not found, treat it as lost or stolen.
2. Contact the Gaborone consulate at +267 3160 926 or +267 3160 946, or email canada@consul.co.bw, during the listed office hours.
3. If the office is closed or the matter is urgent, contact the Emergency Watch and Response Centre at +1 613 996 8885. Text, WhatsApp, Signal and email options are also available.
4. Explain where and when the passport disappeared, where you are staying, and when you need to travel. Have another form of identification and a copy or photograph of the missing passport ready if you have one.
5. Follow the consulate’s instructions about the travel document or passport service available for your circumstances. Do not assume that a replacement will be issued immediately or that it will support every part of your planned itinerary.

A lost passport can disrupt a safari even when the lodge booking is still valid. Tell your operator as soon as your travel dates may change. The operator may be able to explain the booking consequences, but only Canadian officials can advise on the Canadian travel-document process.

Arrest, medical emergencies and evacuation

Arrest or detention

If Botswana authorities arrest or detain you, contact the Canadian consulate or Canada’s Emergency Watch and Response Centre. Canada’s Gaborone office lists legal matters among its consular services. Consular staff can explain available consular assistance and help you find the appropriate next contact, but you remain subject to Botswana law.

Do not ask a safari guide or lodge manager to intervene with police. They may help you communicate locally, but the Canadian government’s official contact for consular help is the consulate or the emergency centre.

Medical emergencies

For an immediate medical emergency in Botswana, call 997. For police assistance, call 999. For a fire emergency, call 998.

After contacting local emergency services, contact your travel insurer and Canada’s emergency consular service if you need consular help. The official Canadian sources supplied here do not state that the consulate pays medical costs, chooses your doctor or guarantees medical evacuation. Confirm what your insurance policy covers before travelling, including treatment outside Gaborone and transport from a remote safari area.

When you compare a safari, ask the operator how its emergency procedure works in the area you will visit. This is a practical question, especially if your itinerary includes long road transfers or remote camps. It is separate from Canadian consular assistance.

Death abroad

Canada’s Gaborone consulate lists death abroad as a consular service. If a Canadian traveller dies in Botswana, contact the consulate or the Emergency Watch and Response Centre for guidance on the next consular steps.

The official sources do not provide a fixed fee, processing time or standard document list for this situation. Ask the Canadian office for current instructions rather than relying on an old checklist.

What is Canada’s current travel advice level for Botswana?

Canada’s travel advice for Botswana says to “exercise a high degree of caution.” That is the current advisory level stated in the supplied Government of Canada research.

Read the complete advisory before booking and again shortly before departure. It includes local emergency contacts, consular contacts and practical warnings. Conditions can differ between Gaborone, major roads and remote safari areas, so do not reduce the country-wide advisory to a simple claim that every lodge area carries the same level of risk.

For a second practical read, see SafariFind’s guide to safety advice for visiting Botswana in 2026. Use it alongside, not instead of, the Government of Canada advisory.

Does Botswana need a visa to Canada?

The official Canadian sources supplied for this article do not state whether a traveller holding a Botswana passport needs a visa to enter Canada. Visa requirements depend on nationality, travel purpose and other conditions, so confirm the current rule through Canada’s official immigration and visa information before making travel arrangements.

This question is separate from a Canadian citizen’s right to seek consular help in Botswana. The Gaborone consulate supports Canadians abroad; it is not the source to use for deciding whether a Botswana passport holder may enter Canada.

Is Botswana visa free to Canada?

The supplied official research does not confirm that Botswana is visa-free for travel to Canada. A Botswana passport holder should check the current Canadian entry requirement with the official Government of Canada immigration portal before booking flights or applying for a trip.

Do not assume that a visa-free rule for travel to Botswana works in the opposite direction. Countries set their own entry requirements.

Planning your Botswana safari

Save the Gaborone consulate details and Canada’s 24/7 emergency contacts before you travel, then check the official Botswana travel advice and your insurance cover. Compare the trips below from verified operators and request quotes, paying attention to transfer arrangements and emergency procedures for remote camps.

For help with the consular side, use the Canadian office details above. For the safari itself, compare the operators below before you commit.