01
Before you begin
Have these four things ready.
A proper device
Laptop, tablet or desktop with internet access. The portal does not work reliably on a cell phone.
Chrome or Firefox
Use one of these two browsers for the whole application.
A personal email
Valid and yours alone. Every confirmation, invoice and one time pin goes there.
Digital documents
PDF, Word, JPEG or Excel. Scan and certify everything before you start.
02
Choose your category
Four routes. Pick the one that matches your residency, experience and purpose.
Graduate
Your qualification is accredited in the country where it was obtained, or by a member of the International Engineering Alliance, or both, and it is recognised by ERB. Reserved for ordinary residents of Botswana.
Upload
- Certified copy of your certificate, or a completion letterA completion letter is only relevant if the certificate has not yet been issued.
- Certified copy of your identity document (Omang)
- Certified copy of your academic transcript
- AffidavitOptional. Only if you have had an extended period without employment since completing your qualification. It should state how much post-qualification work experience you have gained, and how much more you need to meet the four year requirement.
If ERB does not yet recognise your qualification, verification can take up to 30 business days.
Registered
An interim category for ordinary residents of Botswana who have completed four years of post-qualification work experience in their discipline but have not yet demonstrated all the competencies required for professional registration.
Upload
- Certified copies of certifications
- Certified copy of your academic transcriptOnly if your qualification must go through the qualification evaluation process.
- Certified copy of your identity document (Omang)
- Updated curriculum vitae
- Three certificates of good conduct and character
- Summary of work experience, Form A1.6
You become eligible for the Professional category after a further 12 months of practice.
Professional
For applicants ready to be assessed against the professional competence standard. Attendance at the report writing workshop is required before you submit.
Upload
- Certified copies of certifications
- Certified copy of your academic transcriptOnly if your qualification must go through the qualification evaluation process.
- Certified copy of your identity document (Omang)
- Updated curriculum vitae
- Three certificates of good conduct and character
- Summary of work experience, Form A1.6
- Report on post-graduate engineering experience, the competence report
- Competence Verification Form
- Professional membership certificateOptional. Only if the professional body is recognised by ERB for professional membership.
The competence report carries 90 per cent of this application. See section 04.
Temporary Professional
For people who are not ordinarily citizens of Botswana, coming for a specific project or assignment of defined duration, with recognised qualifications in their field.
Upload
- Certified copies of certifications
- Relevant professional certificatesOnly if you are already registered with a professional body recognised by ERB.
- Certified copy of your passport
- Competence report
- Employer or project sponsor letter stating the nature of the work, and the duration and location of the assignment
- Temporary Registration Declaration
- IELTS result above 5.0 if English is not your first language
Approval review takes 30 business days.
03
The application journey
Work down the left column, then the right.
Create your account
Open the registration portal, click APPLY NOW, then CREATE NEW ACCOUNT and complete your details.
Confirm and log in
Check your email for the confirmation, then sign in with the credentials you were sent.
Start the application
Click REGISTRATION on the dashboard, then CREATE+.
Fill in every section
Personal Details, Academic Details, Memberships and Work Experience. Attach each document with the ADD button.
Save a draft, then review
SAVE DRAFT keeps your progress. Reopen with EDIT and read the whole application before you go further.
Submit
Click SAVE FINAL. Nothing is assessed until you do this.
Desktop assessment
Allow 14 working days. An invoice then arrives by email.
Pay and collect
Pay the application fee for the category you are registering for. The registration and practising certificate fees are invoiced separately, later. The full sequence is set out in section 05.
04
The competence report
Professional and Temporary Professional applicants only.
90%of your professional category application is the competence report. Attendance at the report writing workshop is required to help you compile it.
Write it this way
- Follow the WAR model throughout.
- Keep to 4,000 words, give or take 10 per cent.
- Give two examples for each competency subsection such as A1, A2 or B1, drawn from different tasks or projects.
- Write in the first person and explain what you contributed.
- Explain why and how you applied each engineering principle.
- Mind the formatting: font size, headings, paragraphs and proper numbering.
What fails an application
- Listing responsibilities or experience in CV style.
- Narrating the story of how a project was implemented.
- Including diagrams and formulas rather than describing how you applied them.
- Routine and predictable tasks, which do not qualify for registration purposes.
- Showing awareness of a principle without showing that you applied it.
- Reusing the same project except to demonstrate a different competency.
05
Paying and waiting
Fees are invoiced stage by stage.
The payment sequence
Pay the application fee
The amount depends on the category you are registering for.
Your application is assessed
Graduate applications are assessed in two to four weeks.
A second invoice is issued
This one covers the registration and practising certificates.
Settle that invoice
Nothing is issued until it is paid in full.
Your certificate is issued
Seven to fourteen days after settlement, sent to your email.
- Bank
- EFT or direct deposit. Send proof of payment to finance@erb.org.bw
- Card
- Secure online card payment through the portal.
- In person
- Plot 75783, Setlhoa Office Park, Block 10, Gaborone.
- Fee schedule
- erb.org.bw/fe/
Pay strictly the amount invoiced at each stage. Advance payment for future stages of the application is not permitted.
| How long it takes | Allow |
|---|---|
| Desktop assessment | 14 working days |
| Graduate application assessment | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Registered and Professional outcome | 14 to 30 working days |
| Verification of an unrecognised qualification | up to 30 business days |
| Temporary Professional approval review | 30 business days |
| Renewal acknowledgement | 5 days |
| Certificate after the invoice is settled | 7 to 14 days |
06
Renewing your practising certificate
Already registered? This is the only route you need.
- Go to certificates.erb.org.bw and open the renewal page.
- Enter your registration number and select the certificate to renew.
- A one time pin is sent to your registered email address.
- Enter the pin and upload the required documents.
- Click Submit. Acknowledgement follows within 5 days.