Eswatini Acknowledges Problems with E-Visas and Promises Quick Solutions

On September 17, 2026, Eswatini’s Prime Minister, Russell Mmiso Dlamini, publicly acknowledged problems with the country’s electronic visa system at the second Tourism Nkwe Indaba Summit in Mbabane. In his speech, he called for changes to systems and procedures that currently make it difficult for visitors to enter the country and undermine the competitiveness of the tourism sector. An official government statement reflecting his remarks explicitly identifies the e-visa platform as an obstacle that must be addressed urgently.

Specifically, the prime minister cited several shortcomings: delays in processing applications, failed payments, and the lack of a manual fallback procedure while technical improvements are being made to the platform. Complaints reportedly increased, particularly during peak periods such as the Umhlanga Festival, the country’s largest cultural event. According to media reports, representatives of the tourism industry reported wait times of up to five days for a visa to be issued, as well as travelers who were stranded at the airport upon arrival without valid entry documents.

Dlamini emphasized that a visa system that deters precisely those visitors the country is actively courting is no longer acceptable. The government has committed to resolving the issues “with urgency, not with endless patience.” However, in its statement, the government did not specify any concrete technical measures or a binding timeline for implementing the announced improvements.

For travelers and visa applicants planning a trip to Eswatini, these statements mean one thing above all: Anyone who needs an electronic visa should currently expect possible delays and plan for sufficient lead time. Especially during peak tourist seasons, such as around the Umhlanga Festival, processing times can be significantly longer than usual, and technical glitches in the payment process cannot be ruled out.

Since no manual fallback procedure currently exists, there is no official alternative to the online application process in the event of a system failure. This makes it all the more important to submit your application early and with complete, correctly submitted documents to avoid complications. We will carefully review and submit your application documents for the electronic visa on your behalf, ensuring that common sources of error are eliminated from the outset and that your application can be processed smoothly.

Until the announced system improvements actually take effect, it remains unclear how quickly the current situation will noticeably improve. Travelers planning at the last minute should take this into account when scheduling an appointment and, if possible, avoid submitting their application just a few days before their planned departure. You can easily start the process through our application page, and our overview of visa types provides further information on the various options for entering Eswatini.