Today, we will talk about tourist visas of one of the favourite places of photographers and wildlife lovers. The name of that country is Namibia. It is home to more than 100 mammal species, 300 bird species, desert, and more. While travelling in the desert, you will enjoy the beauty of the Atlantic ocean. Millions of people dream of visiting Namibia. If you want to visit Africa but don't know where to start, we advise you to travel to Namibia. If you search on Google, you will see many people share the same opinion with us. Considering that many people have unanswered questions about the Namibia tourist visa, we decided to talk about it. You will answer these and more:
• What are the Namibia tourist visa requirements?
• How to apply tourist visa to Namibia?
• Do you need visa for Namibia?
• How to get Namibia visa?
Namibia visa policy
There are several things that you should learn before starting to collect information about the visa of any country. The first thing that you must do is find a visa-waiver country list. If you are from one of the visa-waiver countries, you will not need to apply for any visa. After handling it, you must find a visa related to your visiting purpose. We can divide visas of Namibia into three categories depending on the purpose of the visit and stay duration.
Namibia Visa on Arrival
Namibia Short-term Visa
Namibia Residence Permit
In this blog, you will find information about standard tourist visa and Namibia tourist visa on arrival.
How to get Namibia visa?
How to apply for Namibia visa? As we mentioned above, there are various kinds of visas, but the general application process is almost the same. You will need to finish five steps to get a visa. They are:
• Arranging an appointment
• Collecting the required documents for visa application
• Paying the visa fee and other possible charges
• Taking part in the interview
• Waiting for processing
These steps are for standard visa applications, which you can realize in embassies. Also, there is another type of tourist visa which you can get without the steps above.
Namibia tourist visa on arrival
You can get a visa on arrival at two airports. Those airports are Hosea Kutako International Airport and Walvis Bay Airport. It will allow you to stay in the country for a maximum of 90 days. Besides the tourism, people who travel because of purposes below can apply:
• Visiting family members, friends, or relatives
• Attending workshops, but not as a facilitator
• Attending meetings
• Searching business chances
• Getting medical treatment
Can everyone apply for a Visa on Arrival? Unfortunately, it is not reachable for all nationalities. There are 41 countries on that list, and some of them are Benin, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Liberia, Rwanda, Tunisia, Bulgaria, Chad, Eritrea, etc. What are the Namibia tourist visa requirements for visa on arrival? You must have the documents below:
• Application form
• Passport
• Travel itinerary
• Evidence of financial means
• Certificate of Yellow Fever vaccine
• You may need to give some other documents
You will pay almost 71 USD, and in just a few minutes, you will have a visa.
Namibia tourist visa
I can not apply for a Visa on Arrival: How to apply tourist visa to Namibia? Namibia tourist visa is one kind of short-term visa. It is for people who are not eligible for visas on arrival. It has some disadvantages in comparison with the Visa on Arrival, such as a longer processing time. What can I do during my trip? Namibia offers plenty of activities to tourists. You can take part in desert tours, learn the local culture, traditions, and cuisine. The must-visit destinations are the Canyon Roadhouse, Tropic of Capricorn, Quiver Tree Forest, Kolmanskop Ghost Town, Walvis Bay Flamingos, etc. Travelling without trying local food will leave your trip unfinished. What to eat? Probably, most of you have never tried Namibian cuisine. We can say that you will see the effects of the post-German and English colonial period effects in the cuisine of Namibia. There are plenty of delicious meals, such as Mahangu soup, Mieliepap, Potjiekos, Meat skewers, Bullfrog, etc.
Required documents for tourist visa
The documentation process of all short-term visas is almost the same. There are some minor differences. It is one of the steps that need more concentration. Minor mistakes in documentation may cause a rejection. People who want to travel to Namibia must have the following documents:
• Application form. You must fully complete it, sign, and date. You will use English to fill the form. If the applicant has a child that travels with him (her), then he (she) must sign for children.
• Passport. Your passport must have at least six months of validation beyond the date of your departure from Namibia. It should not be older than ten years, must be signed by the bearer, should have at least two free pages, and photos must be securely affixed with/to the passport.
• Photo. You must provide photographs that have been taken in the last six months, and the size must be 3.7x5.2. Your face must cover 70-80% (32-26mm) of the photo and try to avoid white clothes. As the background will be white, it may cause problems.
• Provide a copy of your ID CARD
• Residence permit/visa copy; Applicants whose country of residence and citizenship are the same will need it.
• Photocopies. Applicants will give a copy of the main page of their passport and copies of other previous visas.
• Travel itinerary. Here, you will present two pieces of information: flight tickets and accommodation. You must have a return flight ticket. Furthermore, applicants must give details of the hotel, hostel, or apartment they intend to stay. Accommodation paper must include name, street, city, zip code, contact information, and booking reference.
• Some other supporting documents can be required by the embassy
The cost of Namibia tourist visa
Next to providing essential documents, you will pay the visa charge. You will pay the cost of Namibia tourist visa in two parts. Firstly, you will give six USD, it is non-refundable. Only the applicant whose application ends successfully will pay the second part, and it is 34 USD. Besides, you may need to give some other charges, such as courier service, visa application centre fee, and so on. Is the payment for all short-stay visas and nationalities the same? No, depending on your nationality and the purpose of the visit, the price changes.
How long will I wait?
After finishing all steps, you will need to wait for processing time. Unfortunately, different from the Visa on Arrival, you will not be able to get your visa in just a few minutes. The average processing time for a tourist visa is 7-10 working days. As the same with the fee, it may change depending on the country of submission.
Do you need visa for Namibia?
Not all people need to apply for one of the tourist visa types that we have mentioned above. Where can I learn if I need to apply or not? You can learn this simply by checking the visa-free countries list. Today, residents of 53 countries can freely visit the country without undergoing any application process. We cannot mention all of 53 countries in this blog, but some of them are:
Angola
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Belgium
Botswana
Ukraine
United Kingdom
United States of America
Uzbekistan
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Can I extend my stay duration?
A tourist visa gives you a chance to stay in the country for a maximum of three months. Sometimes it may not be enough, and some tourists may want to apply for extending tourist visa Namibia. Extending tourist visa Namibia is possible for another three months. Applicants can do it in the Ministry of Home Affairs in Windhoek.
Where and how to apply for Namibia visa?
So, we have all the details and papers; where will we apply? Applicants can realize their tourist visa applications in Namibia visa application centres, embassies, or consulates. You should find which one is responsible for visa applications in your country of residence. If none of these government organizations is available in your country, you need to apply to the nearest embassy or consulate to your location.
Why did I get a rejection?
Sometimes people fail during application processes. It may happen because of various reasons. The most common among them is giving incorrect or lack of documents. Sometimes people do it on purpose to deceive the embassy. Undoubtedly, I can say that it is one of the worst ideas. They will carefully examine your details and documents. So, they will find if something is wrong. Other popular reasons are: passport doesn't have enough validation; the applicant has a criminal background or financial means. You must have enough money for travelling. You will visit another country, and you must consider all possible expenses. Some websites which show the market, rental prices of various countries can be beneficial. We advise you to make more money than you calculate just in case.