Everything You Need To Know About A Namibia
Visa
British nationals can enter Namibian
borders without a visa when they plan to visit the country for a holiday or
private purposes. You can stay in Namibia for up to 90 days under the visa-free
regime, provided you have a valid British Citizen passport.
Note: Once you arrive in Namibia,
immigration officials will check the purpose of your visit and grant you
permission to stay for periods, which can be shorter than 90 days, although the
maximum allowable period is 3 months.
Therefore, once you leave the immigration
desk in the airport arrivals hall, remember to check the span for which you
have been permitted to stay in the nation.
If you exceed the time period
stamped by Namibian Immigration officials on your passport, you can face strict
penalties such as a hefty fine and detention or even arrest.
In order to avail the visa-exemption
facility, your passport needs to hold a minimum validity of 6 months from the
date of entry into Namibia. It should also have at least 1 blank page for
immigration officials to place the required stamps.
Sometimes, travelers decide to
include both South Africa and Namibia in their itinerary. So, if you are
planning to visit South Africa as well during the same trip, we would advise
you to maintain at least 3 unused visa pages on your passport.
Entry requirements for foreigners visiting Namibia
Again, if you travel to Namibia for professional or voluntary work or plan to stay there for more than 90 days, you have to get a visa in advance from the Namibian High Commission in London before your travel dates.
Additionally, if you are a foreigner residing in the UK with a residence permit or a UK visa, you might need a Namibian visa to travel to the country. Please confirm with theHigh Commissionif you require to obtain a visa in advance before entering Namibia.
If you do, below are the major types of short-term Namibian visas available:
- Diplomatic/Official Visa
- Tourist Visa
- Business Visa
- Sports Visa
- Visa for Volunteering Activities
- Visa for Media Personnel
Tourist visa
While applying for a tourist visa, you will need the primary documents such as a passport, a visa application form, photograph, and travel itinerary. Apart from these, you require:
- A motivation letter
- Comprehensive travel insurance
- A letter of invitation that contains the signature of the sponsoring party in Namibia. In the absence of an LOI, you can share proof of accommodation reservations
- Minors should provide birth certificates
Business Visa
Just like a tourist visa, a business visa also requires you to submit a signed and filled visa application form, a valid passport, a recent photo, and flight bookings.
Apart from the above documents, you shall need:
- A motivation letter from your employer in the UK
- A letter of invitation from your company in Namibia
- Minors should be able to provide birth certificates
Expedition/Sport Visa, Visa for Media Personnel & Volunteer Visa
You can refer to the requirements above for a sports visa, media visa, and a volunteer visa as they are almost identical. For volunteering purposes, you might have to present a travel insurance certificate.
Traveling to Namibia with minors aged under 18 years
As per a recent rule introduced in 2016, parents traveling with children below 18 years, must carry an original and a certified copy of the unabridged birth certificate.
This document should have all the details about the child and his/her both parents. If the certificate contains only the child’s particulars, it will be rejected by the Namibian Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration.
If you are an adult traveling with a minor who is not your biological son/daughter or you are not a legal guardian of the minor, you should carry an affidavit statement from the child’s parents, which gives consent for their travel. Again, if the child is accompanied by only one parent, the other parent should issue consent for travel in the form of an affidavit.
Entry requirements for minors traveling alone
If a minor is traveling without his/her parents or legal guardian(s), he/she should be able to produce proof of consent from one or both parents/legal guardians by presenting an affidavit.
Additionally, the child should carry a letter from the person in Namibia who would be hosting the minor during his/her stay in the country.
UK Emergency Travel Documents
The government of Namibia accepts UK Emergency Travel Documents (ETDs) at points of entry into, transit and exit from Namibia. This document should be valid for a period of a minimum of 6 months from the date of arrival in Namibia.