Namibia generated N$583.8 million from its visa-on-arrival platform during the 2025/26 financial year, with 304,691 visas issued through the service, according to the Government’s 2025/26 Accountability Report.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security reported that a total of 420,189 documents were issued during the year under review, comprising 367,710 visas and permits, 51,465 passports and 1,014 citizenship documents.
The total exceeded the ministry’s target of issuing 119,604 visas, permits, passports and citizenship documents.
The ministry said it implemented the Cabinet-approved visa reciprocity principle on 1 April 2025, requiring nationals of countries that had not reciprocated Namibia’s visa exemptions to obtain visas before entering the country.
The policy was introduced to promote mutuality and fairness in international visa relations, ending the indefinite provision of unilateral visa-free access to nationals of countries that required Namibians to obtain visas for entry.
To facilitate legitimate travel and minimise the impact on tourism and investment, the ministry expanded and digitalised its visa-on-arrival (VoA) and electronic visa services, allowing eligible travellers to apply online or obtain visas at designated ports of entry.
The report said the policy continued to evolve during the reporting period, with Cabinet approving an additional 35 countries for visa-on-arrival eligibility in September 2025.
Visa-on-arrival applications accounted for the largest share of documents issued, with 304,691 visas approved during the year. The ministry also issued 15,193 holiday visas through its online application system and 947 through manual applications.
The ministry received 16,960 online applications for short-term employment permits, of which 13,645 were approved and 3,315 rejected. Manual applications for short-term employment permits totalled 12,782, including 10,943 approvals and 1,839 rejections.
The ministry also processed 4,838 applications for new employment permits, with 2,532 approved, 1,793 rejected and 514 deferred. Employment permit renewal applications totalled 3,068, comprising 2,569 approvals, 384 rejections and 115 deferred applications.
Other documents issued included 4,189 student permits, 1,644 visas for meetings, incentives, conferences, events and sports (MICE), 766 permanent residence permits and 87 study-related temporary residence permits.
In addition to the visa reforms, the ministry expanded its digital capacity through the rollout of the passport system, enabling the live capture of photographs and enrolment of passport applications at regional offices.
The system was introduced at offices in Gobabis in the Omaheke Region, Keetmanshoop in the //Kharas Region, Oshakati in the Oshana Region, Rundu in the Kavango East Region, and Swakopmund and Walvis Bay in the Erongo Region.
According to the report, the rollout allows these offices to capture applicants’ photographs and process application enrolments locally, eliminating the previous need to send physical forms to Windhoek for capturing.
The ministry also strengthened the international authentication of Namibian travel documents. As a member of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) community, Namibia conducted a key import on the Public Key Directory platform on 13 November 2025 to enable the global authentication of Namibian passports.
The developments form part of the ministry’s efforts to modernise immigration and passport services while implementing the country’s revised visa policy.
