Namibia has released an updated list of 28 African countries whose citizens are eligible for its visa-on-arrival programme, a move aimed at facilitating travel, boosting tourism and strengthening regional connectivity across the continent.
However, Nigeria is not among the eligible countries, meaning Nigerian passport holders will continue to require a visa before travelling to the Southern African nation.
According to Legit.ng, citing information from Namibia’s Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security, the visa-on-arrival scheme covers 28 African nations, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Madagascar, Mauritania, Niger, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (Western Sahara).
The updated policy is part of Namibia’s broader efforts to modernise its immigration system and make travel more accessible for eligible visitors. Travellers from the listed countries can apply for a visa upon arrival at designated ports of entry or obtain an electronic visa before departure through Namibia’s online immigration platform. The latest announcement follows Namibia’s wider update to its visa regime, which also identified 121 countries and territories eligible for visa-on-arrival access. Despite the expansion, Nigeria was excluded from both the African and global eligibility lists.
Namibia introduced changes to its visa policy in 2025 under a reciprocal visa framework, requiring visas from nationals of countries that do not offer visa-free entry to Namibian citizens. At the same time, the government has expanded visa-on-arrival facilities for many other nationalities to encourage tourism and business travel. Tourism stakeholders say the visa-on-arrival programme is expected to improve visitor arrivals, simplify border procedures and strengthen Namibia’s position as one of Southern Africa’s leading tourism destinations, renowned for attractions such as the Namib Desert, Etosha National Park and the Skeleton Coast.
For Nigerian travellers, however, the exclusion means existing visa application requirements remain in place, underscoring the importance of checking Namibia’s immigration regulations before making travel plans.
