Important Information To U.S. Citizens Traveling To Namibia

• Current World Wide Cautions on Travel.State.Gov.
• Current World Wide Traveler’s Health Notices on Centers for Disease Control.

Country Specific Information: Country Specific Information sheets are issued by the State Department for every country with general information for U.S. citizens travelling to or living in foreign countries. These sheets contain information on health conditions, crime, entry requirements, areas of instability and the contact information for the U.S. embassy and/or consulate(s) in the specific country.

Parents traveling to Namibia with minor children should be prepared to produce unabridged birth certificates for their children demonstrating their parental relationship. Birth certificates should be original or certified copies of the original. When one parent is traveling alone with a child, he or she should present the unabridged birth certificate, plus a notarized consent from the other parent listed on the birth certificate authorizing him or her to enter/depart from Namibia with the child. Alternatively, the parent could also present a court order granting him or her full legal custody of the child, or the death certificate of the other parent named on the birth certificate.

Passports: U.S. passports, in order to be considered valid for travel to Namibia, must have at least six months of validity remaining beyond the traveler’s planned date of exit from Namibia.  Travelers with insufficient passport validity are strongly advised to obtain new passports prior to travel.  The U.S. Embassy cannot provide new passports on an emergency basis if U.S. citizen travelers are denied admission at the port of entry for this reason.

Visas: A visa is not required for U.S. passport holders who plan to visit Namibia for tourism or informal business meetings for fewer than 90 days per calendar year.  Travelers coming for study or work in any capacity – even if the work is unpaid or voluntary – must obtain appropriate study/work permits prior to entering Namibia.  Namibian officials will not issue such permits at the port of entry. Upon arrival, check your visa validity before leaving the immigration counter to ensure that the visa stamp is valid for the length of your intended stay (up to 90 days) or transit through Namibia and that immigration officials have given you a correctly dated entry stamp, as this stamp will be checked upon departure. Overstaying the time granted or having an incorrect or missing entry stamp can result in detention, arrest, and fines.

Blank Visa Pages: Namibian immigration officials require a strict minimum of three blank visa pages for each entry into Namibia. Other countries in the region may require more than three blank pages. Travelers with insufficient blank pages risk being denied entry into Namibia. The U.S. Embassy cannot provide assistance if a U.S. citizen traveler is denied admission at the port of entry for insufficient blank pages in their passport.

Yellow Fever Vaccination:  Namibia requires all travelers coming from areas where yellow fever is endemic to show their World Health Organization Immunization Record (yellow card).  Even though the United States is not a Yellow Fever endemic country, travelers from the United States are sometimes stopped and asked to produce their yellow cards showing proof of vaccination against Yellow Fever when entering Namibia.  Therefore, all travelers are advised be vaccinated against Yellow Fever before traveling to Namibia and to be sure to carry proof of their immunization. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintains a list of Yellow Fever vaccination clinics in the United States.

Other Important Health Information:  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintains a Traveler’s Health Information Page for Namibia with important information about current health issues the country, recommended vaccinations for travelers to Namibia, and  a suggested Healthy Travel Packing List.