Namibia Visa Requirements
Namibia E-Visa and Visa on Arrival: What Changed in April 2025
Since 1 April 2025, travellers from 33 countries that once entered Namibia visa-free – the UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and most of Europe among them – need a visa for a holiday. The good news is that it's quick to arrange: apply online for an e-visa before you fly, or get a visa on arrival at Namibia's main airports and border posts. Namibia's Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security recommends the e-visa, and so do we – less time at the counter means more time on the road to the dunes.
Who doesn't need a visa?
Nationals of these countries don't need a visa for a holiday in Namibia:
- Angola
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Cuba
- Eswatini
- Hong Kong
- Indonesia
- Jamaica
- Kenya
- Lesotho
- Macau
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Mauritius
- Mozambique
- Russian Federation
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- South Africa
- Tanzania
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Nationals of many other countries, including all those affected by the April 2025 change, can choose between an e-visa and a visa on arrival. If your country appears on neither list, you must have an e-visa before you travel. The lists are updated from time to time, so check the current ones on the Ministry of Home Affairs e-services portal.
What you need
- A passport valid for at least six months after you arrive, with at least three blank pages
- A return or onward ticket
- A recent passport photo and a completed application – online for the e-visa, or on the arrival form at the counter
- Proof that you have enough funds for your stay
- An invitation letter, if you've been invited
- The visa fee – children under six are not charged
The holiday visa is multiple-entry and runs for the number of days you request, up to 90 days – handy if your safari dips into Botswana, Zambia or Zimbabwe and back. Print your e-visa: it doubles as your arrival form. Check the dates on your entry stamp before you leave the counter, as overstaying can lead to a fine or detention.
Travelling with children
Under-18s need their own valid passport and a full, unabridged birth certificate showing both parents' details, as an original or certified copy. If one parent is travelling alone with a child, bring an affidavit of consent from the other parent; adults travelling with children who aren't theirs need an affidavit from the parents or legal guardians. Flying in via Johannesburg or Cape Town? South Africa sets its own rules for children, so check those too.
Yellow fever
If you're arriving from a country with a risk of yellow fever transmission, you'll need a yellow fever vaccination certificate, and Port Health will check it before immigration. Your travel clinic can confirm whether your route, including any transit stops, applies.
Where you can get a visa on arrival
Visas on arrival and e-visas are both processed at:
- Hosea Kutako International Airport
- Walvis Bay Airport
- Lüderitz Airport
- Oranjemund Airport
- Walvis Bay Harbour
- Lüderitz Harbour
- Ariamsvlei Border Post
- Noordoewer Border Post
- Oranjemund Border Post
- Trans-Kalahari Border Post
- Mohembo Border Post
- Ngoma Border Post
- Katima Mulilo Border Post
- Impalila Border Post
- Oshikango Border Post
- Katwitwi Border Post
- Ruacana Border Post
Other airports and border posts – including Eros Airport in Windhoek, Mpacha Airport, and the Kasika and Mata-Mata border posts – accept e-visas only. For flights and overland routes into the country, see getting to Namibia.
Check before you travel
Namibia's entry rules changed significantly in 2025 and may change again. Before you travel, check the Ministry of Home Affairs portal or the Namibia Tourism Board's visa page, or contact your nearest Namibian mission. Uyaphi Safaris cannot be held responsible for changes in government policy, but we'll go through the current requirements with you when you book.
Namibian missions
Namibia Visa FAQs
Do I need a visa to visit Namibia?
Most overseas visitors do. Since 1 April 2025, nationals of 33 countries that previously entered visa-free – including the UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and most of Europe – need a visa, available online as an e-visa or on arrival. Nationals of South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and several other countries remain visa-exempt for holidays.
Is it better to get an e-visa or a visa on arrival?
Apply for the e-visa online before you travel – Namibia's Ministry of Home Affairs calls it the preferred option. Visa on arrival is processed only at the main ports of entry, including Hosea Kutako International Airport, while smaller airports and border posts, such as Eros Airport in Windhoek and Mpacha Airport, accept e-visas only.
How long can I stay in Namibia on a holiday visa?
Up to 90 days. You are granted the number of days you request, on a multiple-entry visa, so you can leave for Botswana, Zambia or Zimbabwe and return without a new visa while it is valid. Check the dates on your entry stamp before leaving the counter; overstaying can lead to a fine or detention.
What passport validity do I need for Namibia?
Your passport must be valid for at least six months after the date you arrive and have at least three blank pages. Both the UK Foreign Office and Namibia's Ministry of Home Affairs list the three-page rule, and travellers arriving via South Africa should check South Africa's passport rules as well.
What documents do children need to enter Namibia?
Under-18s need a valid passport and a full, unabridged birth certificate showing both parents' details – original or certified copy; abridged certificates are not accepted. If only one parent travels, bring an affidavit of consent from the other. Children travelling with adults who aren't their parents or legal guardians need an affidavit from the parents or guardians.
Does the KAZA UniVisa cover Namibia?
No. The KAZA UniVisa covers Zambia and Zimbabwe, plus day trips into Botswana, for nationalities eligible to hold it. If your safari crosses from Victoria Falls or Chobe into north-eastern Namibia, you need a separate Namibian visa – and at smaller border posts such as Kasika, it must be an e-visa arranged before you travel.
Do I need a yellow fever certificate for Namibia?
Only if you're arriving from a country with a risk of yellow fever transmission, as listed by NaTHNaC; you'll need the certificate to enter. Namibia screens these travellers at Port Health before immigration, so keep it with your passport. Your travel clinic can confirm whether your route, including any transit, puts you in that group.
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