The United States Embassy in Namibia announced that US citizens planning to visit the southwestern African country will soon need to get a visa before their arrival. Historically, Namibia, a popular tourist destination, has permitted Americans and travelers from several other countries to enter without a visa.
In an official statement, the US mission in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, said that this new requirement will come into effect on April 1, 2025.
“Beginning April 1, 2025, the Namibian Government will require US citizen tourists to obtain a visa prior to entering the country. Visitors are recommended to apply for their visa in advance of planned travel through Namibia’s online visa on arrival portal. Visitors using this online visa application system must carry a hard copy of their approval notice when they travel. Visitors arriving in Windhoek, Walvis Bay, or entering at high volume border crossing points (e.g., Katima Mulilo, Ngoma) will also have the option of purchasing a tourist visa upon arrival at the respective airport or border crossing point. Namibia’s visa on arrival system is new and implementation details are subject to change,” US Embassy’s statement posted on X (former Twitter) said.
The United Kingdom’s High Commission in Windhoek has also revised its travel guidance, advising British citizens to secure a visa prior to their trip to Namibia “at the cost is 1,600 Namibian dollars (around £68 or $87) per person, regardless of the age of the traveler,” or to be ready to acquire one upon their arrival.
Last year, Windhoek introduced a new visa policy and announced intentions to eliminate exemption status for 31 countries, which includes key overseas tourism markets, due to insufficient reciprocity.
The implementation of the new policy started shortly after the nation inaugurated its first female president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. 72-year-old Nandi-Ndaitwah is a member of the South West Africa People’s Organization party, which has been in power in sparsely populated Namibia for more than thirty years now. In the elections held last December, she garnered over 57% of the votes.
The United States ranks among the top 10 Western nations, alongside the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Canada, and Austria, whose tourists frequently travel to Namibia.