Namibia Expands Visa on Arrival Scheme: 36 More Destinations Now Eligible, Digital Push Intensifies
Namibia’s government has taken a decisive step to strengthen its position as a tourism-friendly and investment-ready nation by expanding its Visa on Arrival (VoA) programme to cover 36 additional countries and territories. This move, ratified during the country’s 19th Cabinet meeting on September 2, 2025, and announced by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security (MHAISS), marks a significant stride towards boosting openness and international cooperation in southern Africa’s travel sector.
Ngindinua Daniel, the executive director of MHAISS, emphasized that the expansion is part of a wider government strategy to enhance Namibia’s global standing and make travel more accessible. “We want to make it easier for genuine travellers, businesspeople and tourists to visit our country without unnecessary bureaucracy,” Daniel stated, affirming the government’s ambition to streamline entry processes and attract a wider range of visitors.
Prior to this development, Namibia’s visa-on-arrival and electronic visa system already benefited citizens from 90 countries and territories. With the Cabinet’s latest approval, travellers from a further 36 destinations—including Sweden, Suriname, Cyprus, the Bahamas, Malta, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines—will soon be able to obtain visas at designated ports of entry across Namibia. Historically, visitors from these newly added countries had to apply at Namibian diplomatic missions, a process that often entailed additional costs and delays. This simplification stands to positively influence both leisure and business travel, aligning Namibia with global trends in visa facilitation and positioning the country as a more attractive option for African and international tour operators alike.
The expanded list of eligible countries is diverse, spanning regions from the Caribbean and Europe to Asia and Oceania. It includes the Åland Islands, American Samoa, Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brunei Darussalam, Central African Republic, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, 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 African tour operators and industry professionals, this broadening of the eligibility pool represents an opportunity to craft new regional and long-haul packages that bridge Africa with these new source markets.
Crucially, the Namibian government has not only increased accessibility but also modernized the visa application process. The updated system features a digital e-Visa platform (eservices.mhaiss.gov.na), which allows applicants to submit their documentation and obtain approval prior to departure. MHAISS is actively encouraging the use of the e-Visa system, citing its advantages in speed, security, and transparency. According to Daniel, “Manual applications at border posts cause unnecessary delays for both the applicants and immigration officials. Our goal is to have a smooth, efficient and secure process at all entry points.”
To further drive adoption of the digital platform, the government has introduced a financial incentive: while the fee for e-Visa applications remains at N\$1,600, the fee for manual visa-on-arrival applications at border posts has increased to N\$2,000. Daniel clarified that this adjustment is not about penalising travellers but about encouraging digital uptake. “This adjustment is not meant to punish travellers. It is an incentive for people to use the digital system, which is faster, safer and more transparent. We are building a system that is aligned with global best practices,” he asserted.
For African travel industry professionals, Namibia’s dual focus on openness and digitisation sends a clear signal: the region is ready to compete for international tourism and investment. The streamlined process is expected to attract not only leisure tourists but also business delegations, MICE groups, and investors looking for efficiency and predictability in travel formalities. The expanded VoA programme may also inspire neighbouring countries to reassess their own visa policies, creating a more interconnected southern African travel corridor and unlocking new multi-destination itineraries for the continent’s tour operators.
It is worth noting that while the latest changes have been approved at the highest levels, the implementation date for both the revised eligibility list and the updated fee structure will be communicated following official publication in the Namibian government gazette. This phased approach ensures stakeholders across the travel industry—airlines, hotels, destination management companies, and ground handlers—have adequate time to adjust marketing strategies and inform their global partners.
As Namibia modernises its entry protocols, the wider African travel sector stands to benefit from the lessons learned. The rapid adoption of digital visa systems, coupled with policies that favour openness and customer convenience, is setting a new standard across the continent. For African travel professionals, the message is clear: embracing technology and simplifying border procedures is key to attracting the next generation of global travellers, while also supporting intra-African tourism and business mobility.
This latest move by Namibia is not just about boosting visitor numbers—it is about redefining how African destinations engage with the world, respond to traveller expectations, and harness new tools for growth. As the implementation of the new VoA scheme unfolds, African travel stakeholders will be keenly observing its impact, ready to adapt and innovate in an increasingly digital and borderless tourism landscape.
