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The decision, confirmed at the 19th Cabinet meeting on 2 September 2025, will soon allow travellers from destinations such as Barbados, Cyprus, Malta, and Trinidad and Tobago to obtain a visa upon entry—or apply online before departure, according to Visas News.
This move comes just months after Namibia tightened entry requirements. Since 1 April 2025, 33 nationalities, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Canada, and Australia, have lost their visa-free status and must now apply for visas under a reciprocity principle.
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Encouraging e-Visas
Authorities continue to promote the electronic visa-on-arrival system, which enables travellers to apply online in advance via the Ministry of Home Affairs portal (eservices.mhaiss.gov.na). This streamlines processing and avoids delays at airports and border posts.
From later this year, travellers who choose to apply manually at immigration counters will face an additional NAD 400 (US$23) service fee, an incentive to use the online system.
Who’s being added?
The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology confirmed that 35 countries and territories are being added to Namibia’s visa-on-arrival scheme (though some reports suggest the list could stretch to 36). These include:
Åland Islands, American Samoa, Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brunei Darussalam, Central African Republic, Cyprus, Georgia, Grenada, Haiti, Kiribati, Maldives, Malta, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Palestine, Panama, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Slovenia, Suriname, Sweden, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, and Vanuatu.
For Haiti, holders of ordinary passports will also be exempt from visa fees under reciprocity rules.
Visa fees at a glance
The cost of Namibia’s e-Visa varies by region and age:
- African nationals: NAD 1,200 (US$70); children 6–11 pay NAD 600; under-6s free.
- Other nationals: NAD 1,600 (US$93); children 6–11 pay NAD 800; under-6s free.
Applying online also avoids the new NAD 400 manual-processing fee.
Current eligibility
At present, citizens of 90 countries are already eligible for a Namibian visa on arrival or through the e-Visa system. The upcoming expansion will push this number well past 120, signalling Namibia’s intent to balance diplomatic reciprocity with efforts to stay accessible to international travellers.
Issued on Getaway by Lee-Ann Steyn | https://www.getaway.co.za/travel-news/namibia-expands-visa-on-arrival-list-to-35-new-countries/
