COVID-19 Information

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Last updated:  May 21, 2022

All airline passengers to the United States age two years and older, regardless of vaccination status or citizenship, must provide a negative COVID-19 viral test taken within one calendar day of the departure of the first flight (For example, if your flight is at 1:00 pm on a Friday, you could board with a negative test that was taken any time on the prior Thursday).

Airlines must confirm the negative test result or proof of recovery for all passengers two years of age and over prior to boarding. ​Airlines must deny boarding of passengers who do not provide documentation of a negative test or recovery. 

Under U.S. federal law, all passengers are also required to provide a health attestation form (PDF 219KB) completed no more than one calendar day before departure.

All adult (18+) non-immigrant, non-U.S. citizen air travelers to the United States will be required to be fully vaccinated and to provide proof of vaccination status prior to boarding an airplane to the United States.

Accepted COVID-19 Vaccines to Enter the United States:

Vaccines Approved or Authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Vaccines Listed for Emergency Use (EUL) by the World Health Organization
Single dose
  •  Janssen/J&J
  • Janssen/J&J
2-dose series
  • Pfizer-BioNTech
  • Moderna
  • Pfizer-BioNTech
  • Moderna
  • AstraZeneca
  • Covaxin
  • Covishield
  • BIBP/Sinopharm
  • Sinovac

 

You are considered fully vaccinated: 

  • 2 weeks (14 days) after your dose of an accepted single-dose vaccine
  • 2 weeks (14 days) after your second dose of an accepted 2-dose series
  • 2 weeks (14 days) after you received the full series of an accepted COVID-19 vaccine (not placebo) in a clinical trial
  • 2 weeks (14 days) after you received the full series of a Novavax (or Covavax) COVID-19 vaccine (not placebo) in a phase 3 clinical trial
  • 2 weeks (14 days) after you received 2 doses of any “mix-and-match” combination of accepted COVID-19 vaccines administered at least 17 days apart

Country-Specific Information

  • The World Health Organization has confirmed 160,640 cases of COVID-19 in Namibia. Of these cases, 4,031 have died. 
  • No regions in Namibia show evidence of high escalated COVID-19 risk.
  • The Government of Namibia has implemented the following restrictions in response to the pandemic:  Only Katima Mulilo, Ariamsvlei, and Noordoewer border posts and Walvis Bay Harbour can be used for tourist entries by land and sea.
  • Wearing of masks in public places is mandatory. People who are in close settings, such as public transport, indoor public meetings are encouraged to wear masks. Physical distance of no less than 1 meter must be maintained at all times.
  • The number of attendees at public gatherings allowed are 1,000 people.  Organizers must ensure that hand sanitizer is available, face masks are used, and social distancing is practiced.
  • Grocery stores remain well-stocked.
  • Sale of alcohol is restricted from 09:00 to 18:00 from Monday to Friday and 09:00 to 13:00 on Saturdays.
  • No sale of alcohol is allowed on Sundays and Public Holidays. Liquor may only be sold to and purchased on those days by guests booked in or staying at establishments such as hotels, guesthouses, bed and breakfast facilities and casinos.
  • Salons, beauty parlors, hairdressers, pools, spas, gyms, studios, and fitness canters shall practice public health measures. Both the service providers and clients must wear masks, sanitize, and maintain social distancing.
  • Vulnerable persons are advised to stay at home, except for attending to essential needs.
  • The United States Government does not plan to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to private U.S. citizens overseas. Please follow host country developments and guidelines for COVID-19 vaccination.

COVID-19 Testing:

  • Are PCR and/or antigen tests available for U.S. citizens in Namibia?  Yes
  • If so, are test results reliably available within one calendar day? Yes
  • COVID Test NAM offers two options of PCR testing for travelers. For the N$ 1,700 “Super Express” option, travelers will obtain results in 6-8 hours. For N$ 900, a traveler can expect to obtain their results in 12-14 hours.
    • Bookings can be made on COVID Test NAM’s website or by emailing bookings@covidtestnam.com. You may also call +264 83 332 6150.
  • U.S. citizens can also obtain COVID-19 PCR tests in Namibia from the private laboratory PathCare, which has multiple locations throughout the country.
    • Testing costs N$ 750.00 for 48-hour “Standard” processing or N$ 1,200.00 for 24-hour “XPRESS” processing. “XPRESS” Processing is only offered at Pathcare’s Eros (Windhoek), Walvisbay, and Ongwediva locations.
    • COVID-19 test results from PathCare are emailed and sent via SMS to the individual who was tested.
    • PathCare tests individuals for the purpose of travel by appointment only.  Please visit https://www.pathcarenamibia.com/ to make an appointment.
  • Feed Masters (Namib Laboratories) is offering a drive through COVID-19 testing facility at the Wanderers Sport Grounds in Pionierspark (Tunchel street) Windhoek.  Hours: Monday to Thursday 07:00 – 19:00, Friday 07:00 -13:00, Saturday, Sunday & Public Holidays 07:00 – 10:00. (24-hours turnaround time).
  • There is no need to make an appointment for this service.  For more information, contact:  Tel.:  061 290 1379; 081 308 4884; Email: namlab@feedmaster.com.na.
    • Fees at the drive-through testing site are:  COVID testing (results 24 hours) – N$ 700.00. Pensioners and Students: N$ 650.00. Rapid Antigen Test N$ 300.00 (Payment via ATM Swipe Machine ONLY – NO Cash Accepted)

COVID-19 Vaccine Information:

  • Has the government of Namibia approved a COVID-19 vaccine for use?  Yes
  • Are vaccines available in Namibia for U.S. citizens to receive? Yes
  • Which vaccines are available in Namibia? Covishield; Sinopharm, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson.
  • Visit the FDA’s website to learn more about FDA-approved vaccines in the United States.
  • The United States Government does not plan to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to private U.S. citizens overseas.  Please follow host country developments and guidelines for COVID-19 vaccination.

Namibia Entry and Exit Requirements: 

  • Are U.S. citizens permitted to enter?  Yes
  • Is a negative COVID-19 test required for entry?  Yes, if not fully vaccinated.
  • The COVID-19 PCR testing requirement does not apply to children under the age of five.
  • Are health screening procedures in place at airports and other ports of entry?  Yes
  • Fully vaccinated travelers are no longer required to produce a negative PCR test result upon arrival in Namibia but are instead required to present an authentic, valid vaccination card at the port of entry. 
  • Travelers are strongly encouraged to verify their vaccination status by registering with the CDC’s Vaccine Administration Management System (VAMS). Registration in VAMS allows the traveler to obtain a free QR-coded digital vaccination certificate which serves as additional proof of the traveler’s vaccination status.
  • Travelers who are not fully vaccinated must produce a negative COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test result no older than 72 hours from their arrival in Namibia calculated from the date/time the sample was taken. The certificate must be issued by a certified laboratory to issue SARS-Co V-2 test results in the country of issuance.
  • Only COVID-19 PCR test certificates obtained from providers participating in the Trusted Travel platform or verified on the Global Haven system will be valid for entry into and exit from Namibia. To supplement your certificate(s), the U.S. Embassy strongly recommends travelers also bring paper copies of all COVID-19 test results to the airport or port of departure.
  • Inbound-travelers to Namibia with results from a non-Trusted Travel compliant laboratory are required to upload a copy of their results on the Global Haven System https://globalhaven.org/for authentication. Travelers encountering challenges with the use of the Global Haven System are assured of technical support by sending an e-mail to globalhaven@panabios.org.

      Guidelines to facilitate the use of Trusted Traveler (TT) System:

  1.  Travelers may visit any Trusted Travel authorized laboratory for a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) COVID-19 test. To find a list of authorized laboratories, please visit https://africacdc.org/trusted-travel/(best viewed in Google Chrome) and enter your origin/country of departure and your destination/country of arrival in the “Check Travel Requirements For Your Travel Here” section. This will display approved laboratories in your country of departure and country of arrival.
  2. After the COVID-19 test has been run, and if the results meet the full requirements (validity period and/or test type) of the Namibian government and/or country of destination, the laboratory will generate a Trusted Travel test code that can be verified by airlines and health authorities to confirm the test are from an accredited lab.
  3. Travelers will receive a text message from PanaBios and the testing laboratory with a link to create an account on http://trustedtravel.panabois.org/and access their Trusted Travel Test Code. (Note: Travelers must use the same email address and phone number provided to the laboratory for creating their PanaBios account).
  4. The Trusted Travel Code confirms that the test was performed by an accredited laboratory and provides evidence that the test is still valid at the time of travel.
  5. When travelers present themselves at their port of departure or arrival, port health officials will use the code provided to verify that their results meet all relevant requirements.

Movement Restrictions:

  • Is a curfew in place? No
  • Are there restrictions on intercity or interstate travel? No

Quarantine Information:

  • Are U.S. citizens required to quarantine?  No

Transportation Options:

  • Are commercial flights operating? Yes
  • Ethiopian Airlines and Eurowings offer international flights to and from Namibia. AirLink, Fly Namibia, and West Air Aviation have commenced regional flights between Namibia and South Africa.
  • Qatar Airways announced that it will resume flights to Windhoek effective June 25, 2022. The carrier plans to operate three weekly non-stop flights from Doha to Windhoek.
  • Is public transportation operating? Yes
  • Passengers must use masks in all public transportation, including taxis.

Fines for Non-Compliance:

  • Any person presenting fake SARS COV-2 PCR test results will be prosecuted. Any non-Namibian who presents fake or forged SARS COV-2 PCR test results to an official at any Port of Entry, will be denied entry into Namibia and will be deported at own cost.
  • Non-compliance with Namibian Government regulations on COVID-19 will result in fines of $100,000.00 Namibian dollars or 10 years imprisonment.

Consular Operations:

Local Resources:

  • If you believe you have symptoms of COVID-19 or may have been exposed, please contact +264-0800-100-100 to seek direction from the Namibian Ministry of Health and Social Services.
  • Namibian Ministry of Health and Social Services Facebook page.
  • Namibian Presidency Facebook page.
  • Namibian Ministry of Information and Communication Technology Facebook page.

Other links:

By | 25 February, 2020 | Topics: Alert

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