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Important Travel Information

Important Travel Advice For Namibia

Passport, Visa, and Medical Advice

Passport & Visa

Latest Travel Updates

For up-to-date travel information from the UK government, please check:

UK Government Advice: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/namibia

 

Normally, holders of the following passports do not require a visa to enter Namibia when travelling as a tourist for stays up to 90 days:

United Kingdom; United States of America; Canada; Australia; New Zealand; Ireland; Belgium; Netherlands; Italy; France; Germany; Spain; South Africa.

If you are a passport holder from another country, please contact your local Namibia High Commission or Embassy for up-to-date visa requirements, as citizens of certain countries are required to obtain visas before travelling. You can also check on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Namibia

Please note that if you are applying to the Embassy for your visa, some visas can take a long time to be processed so please do take this into consideration, as it is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct visa in place before you travel.

Your passport should be valid for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of entry into Namibia and have at least one completely blank page for Namibian immigration to use. If you’re travelling to South Africa, you will need an additional 2 blank pages.

TRAVELLING TO/FROM NAMIBIA WITH CHILDREN YOUNGER THAN 18 YEARS OF AGE AT DATE OF TRAVEL: The following requirements apply regardless of nationality.

Parents travelling with children must produce an unabridged birth certificate for the child, showing full details of the child's parents. If the birth certificate is in a language other than English, it must be accompanied by a sworn translation issued by a competent authority in the country concerned.

If the child is adopted, the adoption certificate must be produced.

If only one parent is travelling, said parent must also show consent in the form of an affidavit from the other parent named on the birth certificate authorising the child to travel (the affidavit must be no more than 6 months old from the date of travel), or a court order granting full parental responsibilities to the travelling parent, or (where applicable) a death certificate for the deceased parent. Legally separated parents should also provide a court order when the other parent does not give consent.

Where a person is travelling with a child who is not their biological child, he/she must produce an unabridged birth certificate for the child supplemented by affidavits from the child's parents/legal guardian giving consent for the child to travel and copies of the identity documents or passport of the parents/legal guardian PLUS their contact details.

There are also additional rules for unaccompanied minors - available on request.

PLEASE NOTE: All documents must be original - PHOTOCOPIES ARE NOT ACCEPTED. In the case of foreign countries that do not issue unabridged birth certificates, a letter to this effect issued by the competent authority of the foreign country should be produced.

For more information, please contact your Namibia High Commission.

IMPORTANT: Plastic bags are banned in all Namibian National Parks. Arriving visitors are requested to avoid bring plastic bags into the Parks and any plastic bags in your possession will be removed by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism personnel when you enter any of the National Parks.

PLEASE NOTE: Countries can change their entry requirements at any time. Travel Butlers try to ensure that the information displayed here is correct, but the onus remains with the traveller to verify the information with the relevant High Commission or Embassy and ensure that they can comply with the applicable entry requirements.

 
 

Medical

You are advised to contact your doctor or clinic around 4-8 weeks before your trip to check whether you need any vaccinations and to get their professional medical advice regarding travel to Namibia.

To help avoid heatstroke, drink plenty of bottled water/fluids, and keep out of the midday sun.

Tap water is chemically treated and safe to drink in major cities and towns, but you can often taste the chemicals, so it is not particularly pleasant. Bottled water is readily available and is a much nicer-tasting alternative!

We also advise that you do not drink the water in more remote places such as Etosha and other National Parks, or on farms - the water may be safe to drink, but it simply is not worth the risk or being laid up with a dodgy stomach for the next few days. Do not drink water from any river lake without firstly purifying the water.

Always take water with you on a long car journey to avoid dehydration.

There is a risk of malaria in the Caprivi Strip. During the summer/wetter months (November-June), it is also advisable to take malaria precautions if you are visiting the Etosha National Park although the risk of malaria during this time is still deemed to be low. Check with your doctor about suitable antimalarial tablets. Dengue fever can also be transmitted via mosquito bites. Try to avoid mosquito bites wherever possible - wear loose long-sleeved clothing and trousers, and use a repellent on clothing and exposed skin.

There is no risk of yellow fever in Namibia, so a yellow fever vaccination is NOT required for travellers whose sole destination is Namibia. However, in accordance with International Health Regulations, Nambia requires all travellers over one year of age arriving from a yellow fever risk country, or having been in transit longer than 12 hours at the airport of such a country, to have a yellow fever certificate. These countries include Kenya and Uganda but it is up to the traveller to check the full list here https://nathnacyfzone.org.uk/factsheet/60/yellow-fever-maps

 

Time Zone

Namibia Standard Time is 1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+1) and does operate Daylight-Saving Time. Winter time (one hour in advance of Greenwich Mean Time) applies from the first Sunday of April through May, June, July, and August to the first Sunday in September. Summer time (2 hours in advance of Greenwich Mean Time), or Central African Time, applies from the first Sunday in September to the first Sunday of April.

Languages

English is the official language of Namibia, although it is only the first language of a small percentage of the population, about 7%. Afrikaans is the most widely spoken first language for most Namibians, and around 30% of the population also speak German. Different tribes throughout the country speak either a Bantu dialect (including Owambo, Caprivian and Herero) or a Khoisan dialect (including Nama, Damara and San). The Khoisan dialects are characterised by a 'clicking' sound.

We would ask that all travellers are respectful of the local culture as follows:

If the army or police are protecting a building or place, check before taking any photographs. If in doubt, put your camera away! 

Homosexuality is not prohibited by law, but local attitudes can be less tolerant and public displays of affection may attract negative attention. Whilst everyone is of course entitled to their own sexual preferences and gender identity, we would advise all clients of the LGBT+ community to refrain from public displays of affection (including kissing and holding hands) and to be as discrete as possible about their relationship.

Currency

Namibia's currency is the Namibian Dollar (N$), and does not float on the currency markets, but is tied to the South African Rand (R) at a rate of 1:1. The Rand is widely accepted throughout the country, and even if you pay using all Namibian notes you will often get a mixture of N$ and Rand in your change. Namibian bank notes come in N$10, N$20, N$50, N$100 and N$200 denominations. There are 100 cents to N$1. Coin values are 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, N$1 and N$5.

International Visa and MasterCard credit cards are generally accepted throughout Namibia. Holders of other cards are advised to clarify with a commercial bank whether their card is acceptable in Namibia. Please note, however, that many properties are unable to accept American Express or Diners cards. Credit cards are not accepted at some fuel filling stations.

Electricity in Namibia

The Namibian power is 220 volts, 15 amps, which is delivered through either a 2 or 3 pin round socket. Although the socket is 3 pin, it is not the same as a UK socket, so an adaptor will be needed. Most airport shops sell adapters for foreign plugs, or they can be bought in selected hardware shops in larger towns. Electricity supply is reliable in cities and towns, but you may experience problems in more remote areas, especially during heavy thunderstorms, and you should be prepared for a sudden power failure!

Water in Namibia

Tap water is chemically treated and safe to drink in major cities and towns, but you can often taste the chemicals, so it is not particularly pleasant. Bottled water is readily available and is a much nicer-tasting alternative! We also advise that you do not drink the water in more remote places such as Etosha and other National Parks, or on farms - the water may be safe to drink, but it simply is not worth the risk or being laid up with a dodgy stomach for the next few days. Do not drink water from any river lake without firstly purifying the water. Always take water with you on a long car journey to avoid dehydration.

Using The Phone in Namibia

The International Dialling Code for Namibia is +264, followed by the regional code and then the number. The Namibian emergency telephone number is 10011. Namibia is a vast, sparsely populated country, however, and there are places which are not currently covered by the mobile networks - although these same places may not have fixed line phones either!

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