Namibia Visa Guide (2026): Visa on Arrival, e-Visa, Fees & Entry Rules

Since 1 April 2025, Namibia requires a visa from citizens of 33 countries that used to enter visa-free, including the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and most of Western Europe. Eligible travellers can buy a visa on arrival at the main airports and border posts, or apply online in advance through the government’s e-services portal. The fee for non-African adults is N$1,600, children aged 6–11 pay N$800 and under-6s are free. Your passport must be valid for at least six months and have blank pages.

Do you need a visa for Namibia?#

There are three groups of travellers.

1. Visa-exempt#

Citizens of these countries can visit visa-free for up to 90 days per calendar year: Angola, Botswana, Brazil, Cuba, Eswatini, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Macao, Malawi, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Russia, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Botswana and Namibia also allow their citizens to cross with national ID cards. Check the official list for your passport, as it can change.

2. Visa on arrival (or e-visa in advance)#

This group includes the 33 countries that lost visa-free access on 1 April 2025:

• Europe: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom
• Elsewhere: Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and the United States
• Former Soviet states: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan

It also covers the many other nationalities already on Namibia’s visa-on-arrival list, including the remaining EU member states (such as Poland, the Czech Republic and Greece). In September 2025, Cabinet added a further 35 or so countries and territories, including Slovenia, Cyprus, Monaco, Andorra, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Georgia, Mongolia, Brunei, the Maldives, Bolivia, Panama, Suriname and several Caribbean and Pacific states. In total, well over 100 nationalities can now get a visa on arrival.

3. Visa required in advance#

If your nationality is on neither list, you must apply before travelling, either through the e-services portal (a fuller application with more documents and longer processing) or through a Namibian embassy or high commission.

Visa fees (2026)#

As a rough guide, N$1,600 is about €80–85 or US$90 in 2026, depending on the rand rate. See our Namibia currency guide for exchange tips.

The N$400 manual-processing charge: in September 2025 the ministry announced an extra N$400 administration fee (making N$2,000 in total for a non-African adult) for visas applied for manually at the border counter, to push travellers towards the online system. It only takes effect once the regulation is published in the Government Gazette. At the time of our last check we could not confirm that it had been gazetted, so it may or may not apply when you travel. Applying online avoids it either way.

Payment: online applications are paid by card. At the border, card payment is normal, but carrying enough cash (Namibian dollars or South African rand) for every traveller’s fee is a sensible backup in case the card machine fails or your bank blocks the transaction.

e-Visa vs visa on arrival: which should you choose?#

Our recommendation: apply online. You arrive with approval in hand, spend less time in the arrivals hall and avoid the announced surcharge. Keep a printed copy and a screenshot.

How to apply for the Namibia e-visa#

1. Go to the official portal: eservices.mhaiss.gov.na/visaonarrival. Bookmark it, and don’t use sites that appear above it in search ads with “service fees”.
2. Create an account and choose the visa-on-arrival (pre-approval) application.
3. Fill in the form with your passport details, travel dates, address in Namibia and purpose of visit.
4. Upload documents. Expect to need a passport scan, a recent passport-style photo and supporting documents such as your return flight, accommodation bookings or itinerary and, if self-driving, your car rental confirmation.
5. Pay the fee by card.
6. Wait for approval by email. It often comes within a day or two, but give yourself at least one to two weeks before departure. Applications have typically been accepted from about a month before travel.
7. Print the approval and present it with your passport at immigration. The visa itself is stamped or affixed at the port of entry.

Where you can get a visa on arrival#

Visa on arrival is available at designated ports of entry, including:

• Hosea Kutako International Airport (Windhoek), where most long-haul visitors land
• Walvis Bay International Airport and Walvis Bay harbour (cruise passengers), the gateways to Swakopmund
• Land borders including Noordoewer and Ariamsvlei (from South Africa), Oranjemund, Trans-Kalahari (from Botswana), Mohembo, Ngoma, Impalila, Katima Mulilo and Oshikango (from Angola)

Smaller border posts may not process visas on arrival. If you are driving in from South Africa or Botswana on a quieter crossing, apply online first and confirm with your rental company or the ministry that the post can handle e-visa holders.

What happens at Hosea Kutako airport#

After you enter the terminal, look for signs to Visas on Arrival rather than joining the main immigration queues, which are for passengers who already have visas or don’t need one. Have every traveller’s passport, completed arrival form, approval printout (if you have one), return ticket and accommodation details ready. One person can often handle the paperwork for a family. Then join the immigration line for your entry stamp. Allow extra time if you have a connecting flight or a booked shuttle; see our Windhoek to Swakopmund guide for onward transport.

Other entry requirements#

• Passport: valid for at least six months after arrival, with at least three blank pages (the UK government’s advice for Namibia). Damaged passports can be refused.
• Return or onward ticket.
• Proof of accommodation and funds: bookings, an itinerary or a rental contract, and enough money for your stay may be asked for.
• Medical/travel insurance covering your stay is listed among the ministry’s requirements.
• Yellow fever certificate if you arrive from, or have transited for long enough through, a country with yellow fever risk.
• Arrival form: usually handed out on the plane or at the counter.

Travelling with children#

Namibia, like South Africa, is strict about documents for minors (under 18):

• Each child needs their own valid passport.
• Carry the child’s full (unabridged) birth certificate showing both parents’ names. Original or certified copy; short-form certificates are not accepted.
• If a child travels with only one parent, carry a sworn affidavit of consent from the other parent (and a copy of their ID), or a court order or death certificate where relevant.
• If a child travels with someone who is not a parent, carry consent affidavits from both parents plus copies of their IDs.
• Unaccompanied minors need consent affidavits and a letter from the person they are staying with, with that person’s address and contact details.
• Legal guardians not named on the birth certificate need proof of guardianship.

If you are transiting through Johannesburg or Cape Town, check South Africa’s rules for minors as well.

How long can you stay, and extensions#

• Visitors can stay up to 90 days in a calendar year in total.
• The immigration officer decides how many days you receive. Ask for the full length of your trip and check the date on your entry stamp before leaving the counter. Mistakes are your problem when you exit.
• Visas granted on arrival are multiple-entry for the period granted, which matters if you plan a side trip to Botswana, Zambia or Victoria Falls. Confirm this with the officer if your route leaves and re-enters Namibia.
• Extensions can be requested from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security in Windhoek before your current permit expires, within the 90-day annual limit. Bring your passport, onward ticket and proof of funds, and expect a fee.
• Overstaying even briefly can lead to fines, detention or deportation.
• A visitor visa does not allow work or volunteering; those need a separate permit applied for in advance.

Common visa mistakes#

• Assuming you are still visa-free on a UK, US, Canadian, Australian or Western European passport.
• Using an unofficial agency site and paying double.
• Leaving the application to the last minute. Apply one to two weeks ahead.
• Not checking the stamp. The number of days is at the officer’s discretion.
• Forgetting children’s birth certificates and consent affidavits. Families are turned back for this.
• No backup payment. Carry cash for the fee in case card payment fails.

After immigration#

Once you are through, sort out cash and a SIM card at the airport (see Swakopmund travel essentials), then head for the coast with our how to get to Swakopmund guide. Planning a bigger loop? Our Namibia road trip itinerary and Namibia safety guide will help.