A volcano erupted on White Island, New Zealand on 9 December 2019. Follow the instructions of local authorities. Updates are available from the New Zealand Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management.
Call 999.
Call 999.
Call 999.
Exercise normal safety precautions in Eswatini.
Exercise normal safety precautions
Use common sense and look out for suspicious behaviour, as you would in Australia.
Petty crime is common and violent crime can occur. Safety risks are greater at night, along roads and in rural areas. Avoid walking alone.
Carjacking is reported along major routes from South Africa and Mozambique, especially at night. Keep car doors locked, windows up and valuables out of sight, even when moving.
The rate of HIV/AIDS is very high. Seek medical help if you're a victim of violent crime, especially sexual assault.
Full travel advice: Safety
Malaria occurs year-round in most areas. Other insect-borne diseases are common. Make sure your accommodation is insect-proof. Use insect repellent.
Cholera, hepatitis, schistosomiasis, tuberculosis and rabies can occur. Don't eat raw or undercooked food. Don't swim in fresh water.
The standard of medical facilities is poor. There can be shortages of basic medication.
Full travel advice: Health
Serious offences, including murder and treason, carry the death penalty. Corporal punishment exists, including for children.
Penalties for drug offences are severe. They include mandatory prison sentences.
In Eswatini, it's illegal to possess pornography, take photos of certain sites, events and buildings, and engage in same-sex relationships.
Eswatini doesn't recognise dual nationality. This limits our ability to give consular help if authorities arrest or detain you.
Full travel advice: Local laws
Tourists can enter Eswatini for up to 30 days without a visa. For other situations, you'll need to apply for a visa.
You need a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate to enter Eswatini if you arrive from a country with a risk of yellow fever.
Officials may refuse your entry if you try to enter as a same-sex married couple.
Full travel advice: Travel
The Consular Services Charter tells you what the Australian government can and can't do to help when you're overseas.
Australia doesn't have an embassy or consulate in Eswatini. For consular help, contact the Australian High Commission in Pretoria, South Africa.
Full travel advice: Local contacts
Police resources are varied throughout Eswatini.
Petty crime is common in major towns, particularly Mbabane and Manzini. This includes pickpocketing and robbery.
Take care to protect your personal belongings.
Be particularly careful in major towns.
Violent crime, including armed assault and carjacking, can occur.
Safety risks are greater at night, including on roads and in rural areas.
There have been reports of car-jacking along major routes from South Africa and Mozambique, especially at night.
To protect yourself from violent crime:
avoid walking alone, particularly at night and in isolated areas
keep car doors locked, windows up and valuables out of sight, including when moving
avoid driving into and out of Eswatini at night due to the threat of carjacking
Due to the high rate of HIV/AIDS, seek medical help straight away if you're a victim of violent crime, especially sexual assault.
Demonstrations occur periodically and can lead to violent clashes between protestors and security forces.
To protect yourself during periods of unrest:
avoid protests and demonstrations
monitor the news for planned or possible unrest
avoid affected areas
follow the advice of local authorities
More information:
Eswatini can experience severe weather including thunderstorms and heavy rains.
Severe weather can affect your travel plans.
If you're visiting an area that has recently had severe weather:
confirm your plans with your tour operator or travel provider
ask local tour operators and hotels if accommodation and key services have been affected
To protect yourself if a natural disaster or severe weather occurs:
keep your passport in a safe, waterproof place
closely monitor local news and other sources, like the Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System
follow the advice of local authorities
keep in contact with your friends and family
Expect severe thunderstorms with lightning and heavy rains during wet summer months, October to April.
Get comprehensive travel insurance before you leave. Your policy needs to cover all overseas medical costs, including medical evacuation. The Australian Government won't pay for these costs.
If you can't afford travel insurance, you can't afford to travel. This applies to everyone, no matter how healthy and fit you are.
If you're not insured, you may have to pay many 1000s of dollars up-front for medical care.
Confirm:
what activities and care your policy covers
that your insurance covers you for the whole time you'll be away
Consider your physical and mental health before you travel, especially if you have an existing medical condition.
See your doctor or travel clinic to:
have a basic health check-up
ask if your travel plans may affect your health
plan any vaccinations you need
Do this at least 8 weeks before you leave.
More information:
Not all medication available over the counter or by prescription in Australia is available in other countries. Some may even be considered illegal or a controlled substance, even if prescribed by an Australian doctor.
If you plan to bring medication, check if it's legal in Eswatini. Take enough legal medicine for your trip.
Carry a copy of your prescription or a letter from your doctor stating:
what the medication is
how much you'll take
that it's for personal use
More information:
The rate of HIV/AIDS infection is very high.
Take precautions if taking part in activities that put you at risk of infection.
Malaria occurs year-round in most areas except in Mbabane and Highveld (the Highlands).
To protect yourself from disease:
make sure your accommodation is insect-proof
sleep under treated mosquito nets
use insect repellent
wear long, loose, light-coloured clothing
consider taking medicine to prevent malaria
See a doctor if you have a fever, muscle pain, rash or severe headache.
Waterborne, foodborne, parasitic and other infectious diseases occur. This includes:
To protect yourself from illness:
drink boiled water or bottled water with sealed lids
avoid ice cubes
avoid raw and undercooked food, such as salads
don't swim in fresh water to avoid contact with waterborne diseases
To reduce your risk of rabies, don't go near dogs and other mammals. If you're bitten or scratched, seek medical help straight away.
See a doctor if you have a fever or diarrhoea.
More information:
The standard of medical facilities is low. There can be shortages of basic medicine.
Hospitals will ask you to confirm your insurance cover or pay up-front before treatment.
If you're seriously ill or injured, you could need treatment at a more suitable place. Medical evacuation can be very expensive.
You're subject to all local laws and penalties, including those that may appear harsh by Australian standards. Research local laws before travelling.
If you're arrested or jailed, the Australian Government will do what it can to help you under our Consular Services Charter. But we can't get you out of trouble or out of jail.
Ask police or prison officials to contact the Australian High Commission in South Africa if you're arrested or detained.
Police resources are varied throughout Eswatini.
Serious offences, including murder and treason, carry the death penalty. Corporal punishment exists, including for children.
Penalties for drug offences are severe. They include mandatory prison sentences.
More information:
In Eswatini, it's illegal to:
possess pornography
take photos of government buildings, military installations, armed forces, royal residences or official ceremonies
engage in same-sex relationships
More information:
Some Australian criminal laws still apply when you're overseas. If you break these laws, you may face prosecution in Australia.
More information:
Eswatini doesn't recognise dual nationality.
If you're a dual national, this limits the consular services we can give if you're arrested or detained.
More information:
Every country or territory decides who can enter or exit through its borders.
Make sure you meet all entry and exit conditions. If you don't, the Australian Government can't help you.
Tourists can enter Eswatini for up to 30 days without a visa.
For other types of visits, you'll need to get a visa in advance.
Entry and exit conditions can change at short notice. Contact the nearest embassy or consulate for details about visas, currency, customs and quarantine rules.
More information:
Eswatini High Commission in South Africa
You need a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate to enter Eswatini if you arrive within 6 days of visiting a country with yellow fever.
More information:
Special rules apply if you're going to or from Eswatini through South Africa, including transiting.
South Africa has specific documentation rules for children and doesn't accept provisional travel documents. It also requires travellers to carry a yellow fever vaccination certificate.
More information:
Officials may refuse you entry to Eswatini if you try to enter as a same-sex married couple.
More information:
Some countries won't let you enter unless your passport is valid for 6 months after you plan to leave that country. This can apply even if you're just transiting or stopping over.
Some foreign governments and airlines apply the rule inconsistently. Travellers can receive conflicting advice from different sources.
You can end up stranded if your passport is not valid for more than 6 months.
The Australian Government does not set these rules. Check your passport's expiry date before you travel. If you're not sure it'll be valid for long enough, consider getting a new passport.
Your passport is a valuable document. It's attractive to people who may try to use your identity to commit crimes.
Some people may try to trick you into giving them your passport. Always keep it in a safe place.
If your passport is lost or stolen, tell the Australian Government as soon as possible:
In Australia, contact the Australian Passport Information Service.
If you're overseas, contact the nearest Australian embassy or consulate.
The Lilangeni (SZL) is the currency of Eswatini.
Declare all amounts over SZL15,000 on arrival. This covers all forms of currency, not only cash.
You can't convert SZL into another currency.
South African Rand notes are widely accepted.
Larger cities and tourist facilities accept international credit cards. ATMs are widely available. Contact your bank to ensure that your cards will work in Eswatini.
To drive in Eswatini, you need both:
a valid Australian driver's licence and
an International Driving Permit (IDP)
You must get your IDP before leaving Australia.
You're 4 times more likely to die in a motor vehicle accident in Eswatini than in Australia.
Driving hazards include:
lack of street lighting
poorly maintained vehicles and roads
pedestrians and livestock on roads
poor local driving practices
speeding drivers
If you intend to drive in Eswatini:
check you have the right insurance cover
find out about local traffic laws and practices
be alert to possible hazards
be aware of animals and pedestrians straying onto roads
avoid travelling alone in remote rural areas
Don't travel into or out of Eswatini by road at night due to the threat of carjacking. See Safety
More information:
Check with your travel insurer whether your policy covers you when using a motorbike, quad bike or similar vehicle.
Always wear a helmet.
Use only registered taxis. Arrange them through your hotel if possible.
Avoid hailing taxis on the street, as they are poorly maintained.
Avoid travel by bus where possible. Buses are often over-loaded and poorly maintained.
DFAT doesn't provide information on the safety of individual commercial airlines or flight paths.
Check Eswatini's air safety profile with the Aviation Safety Network.
More information:
Depending on what you need, you should contact your:
family and friends
travel agent
insurance provider
employer
airline
Call 999.
Call 999.
Call 999.
Always get a police report when you report a crime.
Your insurer should have a 24-hour emergency number.
Contact your provider with any complaints about tourist services or products.
Read the Consular Services Charter for what the Australian Government can and can't do to help you overseas.
Australia doesn't have an embassy or consulate in Eswatini. You can get consular help from the Australian High Commission in South Africa.
292 Orient Street
Arcadia
Pretoria 0083, Republic of South Africa
Phone: +27 12 423 6000
Fax: +27 12 342 8442
Website: southafrica.highcommission.gov.au
Email: consular.pretoria@dfat.gov.au
Facebook: Australian High Commission in South Africa
Twitter: @AuHCSouthAfrica
Check the High Commission website for details about opening hours and any temporary closures.
In a consular emergency, if you can't contact an embassy, call the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on:
+61 2 6261 3305 from overseas
1300 555 135 in Australia
Be the first to know official government advice when travelling.