STAFF REPORTER
NAMIBIA earned N$100 million from tourists visa application fees since introducing the eVisa system late last year. The Ministry of Home Affairs Immigration Safety and Security confirmed the windfall in a statement released on Monday adding that 70,000 tourists have entered Namibia through both online and manual visa application processes. The Namibian government introduced a visa on arrival policy to countries that did not reciprocate its free visa policy last year.
“The Visa on Arrival programme is not only operational, it is producing tangible and measurable results. Contrary to the unfounded claims presented in the aforementioned article, there is no evidence of a decline in tourist arrivals. In fact, Namibia continues to be regarded as a highly attractive and accessible destination for international traveller,” the ministry said in a statement.
They said they have streamlined the operational process for arriving passengers. “Previously, travellers holding an eVisa were still required to complete an additional Visa on Arrival (VoA) form upon entry,” said the ministry. Then home affairs ministry added that the eVisa has been upgraded to ensure that payment is made in advance, documentation is valid upon arrival, and travellers proceed directly to immigration clearance without any further administrative steps. According to the home affairs ministry these reforms are already delivering measurable results.
“For example, on Sunday, 25 May 2025, two major international flights arrived at Hosea Kutako International Airport. The first flight, arriving from Frankfurt, carried 243 passengers, saw the first individual report to immigration at 08:12 and the last cleared by 09:27. The entire group was processed in just 1 hour and 15 minutes, averaging 19 seconds per passenger,” the ministry said. Despite the ministry’s assurance that the eVisa system is working fluidly, tourist organisations have raised concern about tourist delays in certain instances.
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