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Namibia is located on the south-west coast of Africa. It is bordered by South Africa in the south, Angola to the north, Botswana to the east, and Zambia in the northeast.
The official language is English, it has abundant wildlife, including the so-called big five, and it has a unique landscape, including the vast Namib and Kalahari Desert, that are some of the most impressive ever to be seen.
The country is known for its vast open spaces, breath-taking scenery, vast ocean coastlines, dunes, mountains and deserts. This immense desert country of rolling dunes stirs the spirit and touches your heart.
The country holds Africa’s largest game park, the Namib-Naukluft Park, which is a not to be missed – either by self-drive or organised safari.
When visiting the country, make sure you get to see the Etosha National Park with its diversity of wildlife. The park is situated in the far north part next to the largely unexplored Caprivi Strip – now called Zambezi region.
This information piece tells you everything you need to know about visa requirements for visiting Namibia.
It is important that you familiarise yourself with these legal requirements of entry before your visit, in particular if you are travelling with minors.
Visa requirements are governed by Namibia and are subject to change without prior notice. Rather check the country’s official website or enquire from a reputable travelling agency or tour operator like MoAfrika Tours what the latest updates or changes to the requirements for a visa application may be.
WHAT IS A VISA?
A visa is issued to international travellers visiting Namibia for a short stay on a temporary basis for tourism, business, study or medical reasons. Visas are normally issued for a maximum 30 or 90 days, depending on your country of residence.
A valid visa allows you to enter the country through a port of entry and stay in the country for the period specified in your visa.
Note that you are restricted to the activity or reason stated in your application, for example, if you applied for a visa for a holiday or family visit, you are not allowed to work in the country during your stay.
VISA REQUIREMENTS FOR VISITING NAMIBIA
Tourist visas are effective for three months and mostly take three days to process at the Namibian Consulate or Embassy in your country. Not all visitors to Namibia require a tourist visa.
Namibia is somewhat tourist friendly as far as visas are concerned, but there are a few important points to keep in mind:
Make sure you have enough open pages in your passport for the necessary stamps – access to the country can be denied if there is no space for further stamps.
Remember the 90-day limit on a tourist visa, but it is possible to apply for a visa extension in the country, although the granting of those extensions is rare.
Getting a visa is a process in any country, but as long as you apply for the most appropriate visa, and have all the relevant paperwork, the process can be quite easy and hassle free
A visa is authorised and issued upon application by a representative of a country’s embassy, mission or consulate after it has been determined that you are eligible to enter the country for a specific purpose.
Visitors holding passports from countries that are classified as ‘exempt’ do not need to apply for a visa prior to arriving in Namibia. Instead, they are issued with a short-stay visa at the point of entry for a period of time relevant to the status of the visitor’s country.
COUNTRIES EXEMPTED AND COUNTRIES THAT NEED VISAS
For visits of less than 90 days, the following countries are visa exempt.
South Africa, Australia, United Kingdom, Germany, United States of America, Canada and Japan
The countries from which citizens do require a visa are Greece, China and South Korea, as well as most of the Eastern European countries.
DIFFERENT KINDS OF VISAS
Tourist Visa
Tourist visas are valid for three months and mostly take three days to process at the Namibian Consulate or Embassy in your country. To apply for the tourist visa, a traveller will need the basic documents including a valid passport, travel itinerary, bank statement or proof that he or she would be able to fund the visit, a letter of employment and/or letter of invitation. A copy of a yellow fever vaccination certificate may be needed, dependent on your country of origin.
Visitors should note that they cannot work if you are visiting in Namibia with only a tourist visa, this regulation also includes volunteer work.
Work Visa
This visa is applicable if you will be working for a Namibian company or if you are partaking in unpaid volunteer work. A work visa will take about five weeks to process and will cost the applicant about USD 130 excluding the cost of the initial deposit.
The business you will be working or volunteering for must assist you in the visa application process. With the temporary work permit you will also need a temporary residence permit for work purposes.
You will need the relevant documentation for the duration of one to three months’ work, which include – apart from the visa application form and passport – a motivation letter as to what your function will be and proof of your educational qualifications.
If you will work in Namibia for longer than three months, up to 12 months, you will also need to provide a medical certificate, police clearance certificate from your country of origin and proof of the contract or appointment letter.
A Business Visa
This is required if you are visiting Namibia for work purposes, even if it is to attend a conference for just a few days. Apart from then normal documentation like a valid passport, you must provide your itinerary, a business letter from your company explaining the purpose and duration of your visit and a business letter from the host company giving dates of travel, purpose of the trip and guarantee of sufficient funds.
Student Visa
If you wish to study in Namibia, the required forms for this application process should be available at the various institutions of higher learning in Namibia, or the Namibian embassy in your country.
Transit Visa
This visa is valid for three days or less and is needed if you are just passing through the country.
HOW AND WHERE TO APPLY FOR VISAS WHEN VISITING NAMIBIA
e-Visa
Electronic visas are not available online for Namibia.
How to apply for a Namibia Visa at an embassy or consulate
The application process largely depends on which country’s embassy or consulate you use to submit your visa application. However, the following is a guideline:
Contact the Namibian embassy or diplomatic mission to set up an appointment
Complete a Namibia visa application form obtainable from the embassy/diplomatic mission offices
You will need to gather the required documents, pay the visa fee and submit the documents and application at the embassy/diplomatic mission. Some offices require you to submit the documents in person, whereas others also allow submissions through the mail.
DOCUMENTS NEEDED FOR APPLICATION FOR VISA
Tourist visas are valid for three months and mostly take three days to process at the Namibian Consulate or Embassy in your country. The documents needed to apply for a tourist visa include:
Note that you cannot work if you are in Namibia on a tourist visa, this includes volunteer work.
To apply for a work visa, you will need the following documents for the duration of one to three months’ work:
When applying for a business visa you will need:
This is required if you are visiting Namibia for work purposes, even if it is to attend a conference for just a few days.
COST OF A NAMIBIA VISA
The cost of a single entry which has three months validity – USD 50.00. Multiple Entry, three months validity will cost USD 100.00.
VACCINES NEEDED WHEN VISITING NAMIBIA
The World Health Organisation recommends the following vaccinations for Namibia: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, yellow fever, rabies, meningitis, polio, measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis), chickenpox, shingles, pneumonia and influenza. Shot lasts two years.
A yellow fever vaccination certificate is often required for a foreign visitor who is travelling from or transiting through a country with risk of yellow fever transmission.
A yellow fever certificate is valid 10 days after the vaccination is administered, making it important to get the vaccination in time before leaving for Namibia. You may be refused entry if you leave it too late and arrive in Namibia within the 10-day waiting period.
Malaria risk is a present throughout the year in the Kunene, Zambezi and Kavango regions. There is a high risk of malaria during November until June in the following areas: Ohangwena, Omaheke, Omusati, Oshana, Oshikoto and Otjozondjupa.
Insect repellent is your best friend when it comes to avoiding mosquito bites, you can buy insect repellents from the local supermarkets and/or pharmacies and apply to any exposed areas of the skin. Those products, which include DEET, claim to be the most effective, but there are alternatives if you are allergic.
It is a good idea to apply insect repellent before leaving your hotel room/ lodge or chalet for the day.
OTHER SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS WHEN VISITING NAMIBIA
Duty free items which are for personal use only are: One litre of alcohol, two litres of wine, 50ml perfume, 250ml Eau de Toilette, 400 cigarettes or 50 cigars, 250g tobacco, other new or used items to the value of ND 2000. All things exceeding this limit including food, are subject to strict tariff regulations.
Diamonds and other protected properties and should only be purchased from licensed shops. If you are convicted of illegally dealing in diamonds, you could face heavy fines or imprisonment. The purchase and export of other protected resources, such as elephant ivory, may be subject to restrictions.
Penalties for drug offences are severe and include lengthy prison sentences.
The currency is the Namibian dollar (NAD). The South African rand (ZAR) is also accepted.
Major credit cards are accepted, and most ATMs are linked to international networks.
VISITING NAMIBIA WITH MINORS
If you are travelling to Namibia with a minor, please take note of the additional documents you will need per child:
WHAT HAPPENS IF ONE OVERSTAYS ON A VISA IN NAMIBIA
Foreign visitors who overstay on a visa are normally declared ‘undesirable persons’ and may incur a ban from Namibia for a period, which prevents them from applying for a visa and re-entering Namibia for a prescribed period of time.
You may also be charged a fine for each day that you overstay on your visa.
There may even be legal action taken against you, it is highly recommended that you extend your visa well in advance.
Individuals who have been affected by the overstay visa regulations of a country can usually lodge a visa overstay appeal.
ENJOY A SAFE HOLIDAY IN NAMIBIA WITH A REPUTABLE TOUR OPERATOR
MoAfrika Tours is a leading tour operator in South Africa that offers an outstanding selection of tours to Namibia. We have a close association with the most reputable tour operators in Namibia who make safety a priority.
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MoAfrika tours and the Kruger Safari Co. are destination management companies (DMC) and are not entities of the South African National Parks Board (SANparks).