Namibia's Ministry of Home Affairs says nationals of countries that have not reciprocated Namibia's visa exemption must apply for a visa, a policy implemented on 1 April 2025. Nationals of the countries on its visa-on-arrival list, among them the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan and Germany, can apply for a visa on arrival or for an e-visa online; the fee regulations set a visa on arrival at NAD 1,600 for non-African Union members and NAD 1,200 for African Union members. Nationalities on none of the Ministry's lists must obtain an e-visa before travelling. Nationals of the countries on the Ministry's exemption list, among them South Africa, Botswana and Zambia, do not require visas for holidays.
Every fact on this page verified on or after: Aug 26, 2026· How this site works
Check requirements for your passport
Requirements differ by nationality. Select your passport above, or scan the full table below.
Visas & entry authorisations
Holiday visa on arrival — non-African Union members
Fee
1,600 NAD
Processing
—
Stay per entry
90 days
Entries
multiple
NAD 1,600 per visa for non-African Union members (Government Gazette No. 8613, 1 April 2025); for holiday visas the regulations set NAD 800 for non-African Union children aged 6–11 and nothing for children under 6. For an in-person application on arrival the Ministry's fact sheet lists card payment; for an online application, online payment.
Holiday visa on arrival — African Union members
Fee
1,200 NAD
Processing
—
Stay per entry
90 days
Entries
multiple
NAD 1,200 per visa for African Union members (Government Gazette No. 8613, 1 April 2025); for holiday visas the regulations set NAD 600 for African Union children aged 6–11 and nothing for children under 6. The African Union lists its member states on its website. For an in-person application on arrival the Ministry's fact sheet lists card payment; for an online application, online payment.
Holiday e-visa — non-African Union members
Fee
1,600 NAD
Processing
—
Stay per entry
90 days
Entries
multiple
NAD 1,600 per holiday visa for non-African Union members aged 12 and above; children aged 6–11 pay NAD 800, and children under 6 pay nothing (Government Gazette No. 8613, 1 April 2025). The Ministry's fact sheet says e-visas can only be applied for outside Namibia and are only valid for the period stated on the approved e-visa.
Holiday e-visa — African Union members
Fee
1,200 NAD
Processing
—
Stay per entry
90 days
Entries
multiple
NAD 1,200 per holiday visa for African Union members aged 12 and above; children aged 6–11 pay NAD 600, and children under 6 pay nothing (Government Gazette No. 8613, 1 April 2025). The African Union lists its member states on its website. The Ministry's fact sheet says e-visas can only be applied for outside Namibia and are only valid for the period stated on the approved e-visa.
Entry requirements
Passport validity
The UK government says your passport must have an expiry date at least 6 months after the date you arrive in Namibia, and at least 3 blank pages. Namibia's Ministry of Home Affairs lists a passport with 6 months validity and 3 blank pages among the documents for online visa applications.
Yellow fever (International Certificate of Vaccination (yellow card)) — WHO's country list says proof of yellow fever vaccination is required for travellers aged 9 months or over arriving from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission, and for travellers who transited for more than 12 hours through an airport of such a country. Namibia's immigration fact sheet also says nationals of the listed countries in the yellow fever endemic zone, Angola among them, must have a Yellow Fever Certificate and present themselves to Port Health for screening before immigration screening.
No official source we could read states whether travel insurance is required to enter Namibia. Canada's travel advice says customs officials may ask you to show proof of health insurance coverage.
No official source we could read states whether a return or onward ticket is required to enter Namibia. Canada's travel advice says customs officials may ask you to show a return or onward ticket.
Namibia's Ministry of Home Affairs fact sheet says a 90-day multiple-entry holiday visa may be granted if you meet the entry requirements, such as proving you have adequate funds for your stay; no amount is published.
The UK government says the Namibian authorities could detain, arrest or fine you if you overstay or have an incorrect or missing entry stamp in your passport. The Government of Canada says overstaying can result in heavy fines, arrest, imprisonment or deportation.
Namibia's Financial Intelligence Centre says every person entering or departing Namibia carrying cash, bearer negotiable instruments, or both, equal to or exceeding N$100,000 (or the equivalent in foreign currency) must declare them to an officer of Customs and Excise at the port of entry or departure. Failure to declare is a criminal offence, and a Customs and Excise officer may confiscate the undeclared cash or instruments.
The UK government's travel advice says it is illegal to buy, sell, kill or capture any protected wild animal or trade its parts without a licence, and that you could get a fine or prison sentence for buying or trafficking these goods, including ivory and rhino horn.
WHO's country list says proof of yellow fever vaccination is required for travellers aged 9 months or over arriving from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission, and for travellers who transited for more than 12 hours through an airport of such a country. Namibia's immigration fact sheet also says nationals of the listed countries in the yellow fever endemic zone, Angola among them, must have a Yellow Fever Certificate and present themselves to Port Health for screening before immigration screening.
The 42 countries WHO lists as a yellow fever risk
Requirements normally count any country you have been in shortly before arrival, not only where you boarded.
International Health Regulations (2005), Article 36 and Annex 7; WHO International Travel and Health, Annex 1, 18 November 2022 (revised 3 January 2023)
Country in a nutshell
Currency
Namibian dollar (NAD, N$)
Cards & payments
Canada's travel advice says major credit cards are widely accepted in cities and most ATMs are linked to international networks, but cash is necessary outside urban centres and at gas stations. It adds that the South African rand is also accepted.
Safety — Exercise caution
The UK government says muggers often target tourists in Windhoek, and that attacks may be violent and can take place at any time of day and in busy city-centre locations; theft from vehicles, particularly at service stations, is common. It says accidents are common on gravel and dirt roads, and that in the January–April rainy season you should not go faster than 80 km/h, carry 2 spare tyres and plenty of water, and avoid driving at night outside towns, as wildlife and livestock are serious hazards.Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: gov.uk (opens in a new tab)
Power plugs
D, M · 220V 50Hz
Emergency numbers
Police: 10111
Languages
English
Time zone
UTC+2
Driving side
left
International Driving Permit
Namibia is a party to the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic (UN Treaty Collection). Canada's travel advice strongly recommends obtaining an International Driving Permit (IDP) in Canada before departure, particularly if the licence is in French.
Canada's travel advice says the dry season extends from April to October and the rainy season from November to March, and that unpaved roads may become impassable during the rainy season.
Tips & warnings
The UK government's travel advice says accidents are common on gravel and dirt roads and that many gravel roads deteriorate during the rainy season from January to April. For that season it advises not going faster than 80 km/h, carrying 2 spare tyres and plenty of water, and avoiding driving at night outside towns, as wildlife and livestock are serious hazards.
Namibia's Ministry of Home Affairs says nationals of countries that have not reciprocated Namibia's visa exemption must apply for a visa, a policy implemented on 1 April 2025; its visa-on-arrival list includes the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan and Germany. The fee regulations of 1 April 2025 set a visa on arrival at NAD 1,600 for non-African Union members and NAD 1,200 for African Union members; for holiday visas, children aged 6 to 11 pay NAD 800 (NAD 600 for African Union members) and children under 6 pay nothing.
The UK government's travel advice says Namibian immigration officials will not accept an abridged (short) birth certificate: children aged 17 and under need a full birth certificate with both parents' details, and if a child is travelling with one parent or legal guardian, the other should give consent for travel in an affidavit.
Visa requirements by nationality
Visa requirements by nationality. Stay lengths are for ordinary tourist visits. Click a nationality for its full guide.
Namibia's Ministry of Home Affairs says nationals of countries that have not reciprocated Namibia's visa exemption must apply for a visa (implemented on 1 April 2025). Nationals of the countries on its visa-on-arrival list, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Japan and Germany, can apply for a visa on arrival or for an e-visa online; the fee regulations set NAD 1,600 for non-African Union members and NAD 1,200 for African Union members aged 12 and above. Nationalities on none of the Ministry's lists must obtain an e-visa before travelling. Nationals of the countries on the Ministry's exemption list, including South Africa, Botswana and Zambia, do not require visas for holidays.
How does Namibia's visa on arrival work?
Namibia's fee regulations set a visa on arrival at NAD 1,600 for non-African Union members and NAD 1,200 for African Union members; for holiday visas, children aged 6–11 pay NAD 800 (NAD 600 for African Union members) and children under 6 pay nothing. The Ministry's fact sheet lists card payment for an in-person visa on arrival, says a 90-day multiple-entry holiday visa may be granted if you meet the entry requirements, and that you must state how many days you want the visa for. Eligible nationals may also apply for an e-visa online, which the fact sheet calls the preferred option.
Who can still enter Namibia visa-free?
Namibia's Ministry of Home Affairs fact sheet lists Angola, Botswana, Brazil, Cuba, Eswatini, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Macau, Malawi, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, the Russian Federation, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe as countries whose nationals do not require visas to enter Namibia for holidays. The fact sheet does not state a length of stay; Singapore's Foreign Ministry says Singapore passport holders are exempted for up to 90 days, and Russia's Foreign Ministry lists visa-free stays of up to 90 days within 180 days for Russians.
Do children need extra documents to enter Namibia?
The UK government's travel advice for people travelling on a full British citizen passport says parents travelling with children aged 17 and under must carry the child's valid passport and full birth certificate with both parents' details, and that if a child is travelling with one parent or legal guardian, the other should give consent for travel in an affidavit. Canada's travel advice says children under 18 must present a valid passport and a long-form birth certificate and, depending on who they travel with, proof of consent.
What should I know before driving in Namibia?
Canada's travel advice says road conditions are generally good but most roads outside urban areas are gravel roads, that fatal accidents are common and often related to excessive speed on gravel roads, and that tourists are often involved in single-vehicle accidents. It advises avoiding night-time driving outside urban centres and says emergency and roadside assistance is unreliable or non-existent outside Windhoek.
Sources & verification
Every fact on this page is compiled from and periodically re-checked against these official sources: