Non-AU members visa fee to be set at N$1 600

The Cabinet has approved visa fees for non-African Union (AU) members be set at N$1 600.

AU members who qualify for visas on arrival will still pay N$1 200.

These fees are subject to an annual review based on the fluctuation of the exchange rate between the Namibia dollar and the euro.

This was announced by minister of information and communication technology Emma Theofelus while presenting the Cabinet’s resolutions on Thursday.

The Cabinet last month approved that the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security impose a visa regime on all countries not reciprocating the no-visa gesture granted their nationals by Namibia.

Namibia currently grants about 55 countries visa exemption, with only 18 of these reciprocating the gesture.

“The Cabinet has approved that affected countries should qualify for visa on arrival and online application, and that the implementation date for the introduction of reciprocal visa requirements be set for 1 April 2025,” Theofelus said.

In addition, the Cabinet has approved that visa-on-arrival forms be combined with arrival form, and for departure forms to be discontinued to simplify departure processes and deploy more staff at arrival counters.

BILLS APPROVED

Among other resolutions, the Cabinet has approved the total allowable catch for Cape Fur seals to be set at 70 000 pups and 10 000 bulls for the 2024 fishing season from 1 July to 15 November, as recommended by the Marine Resources Advisory Council.

Furthermore, the Cabinet has in principle approved the revised draft Namibia investment promotion and facilitation bill of 2024, and has authorised the minister of industrialisation and trade to retable the bill in the National Assembly, after certification by the legal drafters at the Ministry of Justice.

Other bills approved by the Cabinet and authorised for tabling in the parliament include the draft copyright and related rights bill of 2024, as well as the draft sustainable special economic zones bill of 2024.