Holidaymakers travelling to Namibia who apply for their 'Visa on Arrival' at the immigration counter will in future have to pay an additional fee for manual processing. Rumours to this effect within the travel industry were confirmed by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security (MHAISS) in an official statement on Friday.
The additional fee is 400 Namibian dollars (currently just under 1 euro; amount at the current exchange rate, 1 N$ = 1 rand). According to the ministry, the fee will be payable as soon as the new regulation is published in the official gazette.
The travel industry pointed out occasional glitches in the online application system. It urged that travellers affected by this should be exempted from the fee. Border posts that are unable to process e-visas should also be exempted from the regulation.
The new 'Visa on Arrival' has been in force since 1 April (see report on Namibian.org).
The announcement on Friday also stated that the visa will be applicable to citizens of a further 35 countries, including Sweden and Slovenia. It costs 1,600 Namibian dollars (currently just under 79 euros; amount at the current exchange rate, 1 N$ = 1 Rand) and can also be applied for in advance online via the immigration authority's e-service website.