The checklist as a PDF
Entry, health, money, transport and safety, laid out for print, with their sources and verification date.
Namibia
Southern Africa
Wild beaches, Namib desert, nature reserves and culture. The Namib Sand Sea and the rock-art heritage of Twyfelfontein.
- On the map
CapitalWindhoek
When to goMay to September
Suggested length10 days min.
CurrencyNamibian dollar / rand
LanguagesEnglish
The Viafro verdict
For whom, and for which trip.
An editorial bearing, with no percentage and no rating: our criteria are written down, and every “good to know” links to its source.
- For which trip
- Windhoek · Swakopmund · Parc national d'Etosha · Swakopmunt · Sossusvlei
- Best season
- May to September
- Length
- Allow at least 10 days for these 5 essentials, one stop every two or three days. (Viafro’s rule of thumb)
Best time to visit
Twelve months, in colour.
Hover or tap a month: its reading and its source appear. Bars measure rain, the figure is the capital’s mean maximum.
Before you go
The essentials, tab by tab.
Entry, health, safety, money and facts: dated official extracts, never paraphrased.
Visa, passport, customs
GOV.UK advice, written for British passport holders. French travellers: see France Diplomatie (https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/information-par-pays/namibie/conseils-aux-voyageurs-entree-sejour).
- To enter Namibia, your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the date you arrive. It must also have at least 3 blank pages. If you’re travelling to Namibia through South Africa read the South Africa travel advice.
- From 1 April 2025 you will need a visa to visit Namibia. The Namibian authorities have launched a visa on arrival scheme, which is extended to UK passport holders.
- To enter Namibia, you must have a certificate to prove you’ve had a yellow fever vaccination if you’re coming from a country listed as a transmission risk. For full details about medical entry requirements and recommended vaccinations, see TravelHealthPro’s Namibia guide.
Vaccines, malaria, water
This is not medical advice: talk to your doctor or an international vaccination centre before you travel.
- At least 8 weeks before your trip: Altitude sickness is a risk in parts of Namibia. Read more about altitude sickness on TravelHealthPro.
- There are good medical facilities in Windhoek. Private hospitals may insist on payment before starting treatment even if you have comprehensive travel insurance. They may ask you to pay and reclaim from your insurer later. Some travel insurance policies are not recognised by some Namibian hospitals.
Per the ministries
Viafro gives no safety rating: here are the zones and advice published by the French ministry (in French) and the official extracts, with their dates.
Vigilance zones published by France Diplomatie (in French) · page updated on 15 Sept 2026 · see the official map
- Zone · Zones réglementées
L’accès à certaines zones est réglementé. C’est le cas de la « Diamond Restricted Area » ou « Speergebiet » dans l’extrême sud-ouest du pays, entre Lüderitz et Oranjemund (l’accès à Lüderitz est libre), ou de certaines…
La frontière avec l’Angola est à plusieurs endroits matérialisée par une simple clôture de barbelés peu élevée et n’est parfois pas matérialisée du tout.
- Muggers often target tourists in Windhoek. Attacks may be violent and can take place at any time of day and in busy city-centre locations. To reduce your personal risk: be aware of your surroundings, especially after dark
- There is a high threat of terrorist attack globally affecting UK interests and British nationals, including from groups and individuals who view the UK and British nationals as targets. Stay aware of your surroundings at all times.
What the country’s law provides
Photography, alcohol, drugs, relationships: the rules published by the ministries, quoted as they stand, without comment.
- Same-sex relationships are not illegal in Namibia. Certain same-sex sexual acts are illegal, but generally not prosecuted. There are no laws against discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. Conservative attitudes towards LGBT+ individuals remain, especially in rural regions.
Currency
Namibian dollar / randViafro publishes no price or budget range without a source: amounts will come from our own expenses recorded on the ground, dated and itemised.
- There are strict rules about goods you can take into or out of Namibia. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.
Express card
Structured data from Wikidata and the CIA World Factbook, re-checked at every site update.
- Population · 2025
- 3,092,816
- Time zone
- +1 h from Paris
- Plugs and voltage
- Type D and G plugs · 220 V
- Driving side
- Driving on the left
- Calling code
- +264
- Languages
- English
- Area
- 825,615 km²
- Highest point
- Brandberg, 2,573 m
- Main religions
- Christian 97.5%, other 0.6%, unaffiliated 1.9%
Getting there and around
Airports, roads and transport.
- WDHWindhoek Hosea Kutako International AirportWindhoek1 M passengers · official site
- WVBWalvis Bay AirportWalvis Bay124,122 passengers · official site
- ERSEros AirportWindhoek99,658 passengers · official site
- ONDOndangwa AirportOndangua56,449 passengers
Direct flights from Paris are to be checked on the airport’s or airline’s website.
On the road
- If you are planning to drive in Namibia, see information on driving abroad. You’ll need to have your valid UK photocard driving licence with you in the car.
Destinations
The essentials.
Windhoek
Windhoek (; Afrikaans: [ˈvəntɦuk]; German: [ˈvɪnthʊk] ) is the capital and largest city of Namibia.
Swakopmund
Swakopmund ('Mouth of the Swakop') is a city on the coast of western Namibia, 352 km (219 mi) west of the Namibian capital Windhoek via the B2 main road.
Parc national d'Etosha
Etosha National Park is a national park in northwestern Namibia and one of the largest national parks in Africa.
Swakopmunt
Sossusvlei
Sossusvlei (sometimes written Sossus Vlei) is a salt and clay pan surrounded by high red dunes, located in the southern part of the Namib Desert, in the Namib-Naukluft National Park of Namibia.
Activities
What to do, sheet by sheet.
Starting point, season, tips and sources: each sheet says only what its sources say.
Namibia
Sossusvlei and Deadvlei
In the southern Namib Desert, Sossusvlei is a salt and clay pan ringed by high red dunes; its name roughly means “dead-end marsh”.
Namibia
Safari in Etosha National Park
A game reserve from 1907 and a national park since 1967, Etosha covers 22,270 km² in north-western Namibia.
Namibia
The Fish River Canyon
Africa’s largest canyon, the Fish River Canyon runs for about 160 km, up to 27 km wide and almost 550 m deep.
Namibia
The Skeleton Coast
On the northern Atlantic coast of Namibia, the Skeleton Coast runs from the Kunene River to the Swakop River, shrouded in fog by the cold Benguela current.
Namibia
Swakopmund, between desert and ocean
352 km west of Windhoek on the B2, Swakopmund is a beach resort on the edge of the Namib Desert.
Namibia
The rock engravings of Twyfelfontein
In the Kunene Region, this site inhabited for 6,000 years holds at least 2,500 rock engravings, one of Africa’s largest concentrations.
Namibia
Spitzkoppe, the “Matterhorn of Namibia”
Between Usakos and Swakopmund, these granite peaks over 120 million years old rise to about 1,728 m.
Namibia
The ghost town of Kolmanskop
10 km inland from Lüderitz, Kolmanskop was a rich mining village born of a diamond find in 1908.
Namibia
The Waterberg Plateau
68 km south-east of Otjiwarongo, the Waterberg table mountain towers above the Kalahari plains.
Namibia
The seals of Cape Cross
On the Skeleton Coast, Cape Cross is a seal reserve, the Cape Cross Seal Reserve.
Giles Laurent
Must-try food
Six dishes, and where to taste them.
Kapana
Kapana is a way of preparing raw meat, typically beef, in Namibia by grilling it on an open fire. The grilled meat is often sold at stalls in open markets; it is cut into small pieces and grilled and sold while it is cooking. There are often many people sellin
Oshifima
Pâte épaisse de millet ou de maïs, accompagnée de viande ou de sauce. (summary in French)
Potjiekos
In South Africa, a potjiekos , literally translated "small-pot food", is a dish prepared outdoors. It is traditionally cooked in a round, cast iron, three-legged cauldron, the potjie. The pot is heated using small amounts of wood or charcoal or, if fuel is s
Mopane Worms
Gonimbrasia belina is a species of emperor moth which is native to the warmer parts of southern Africa. Its large edible caterpillar, known as the mopane worm, madora, amacimbi, pigeon moth or masonja, feeds primarily but not exclusively on mopane tree leaves.
Braai
Barbecue varies by the type of meat, sauce, rub, or other flavorings used, the point in barbecuing at which they are added, the role smoke plays, the equipment and fuel used, cooking temperature, and cooking time.
Oshikundu
Oshikundu or ontaku is a traditional Namibian drink made from fermented millet (mahangu) flour, brans and malted sorghum flour mixed with tepid water. It is made from cereal. Ontaku has a short life span and must be consumed within six hours once it is ready.
Culture and etiquette
Customs, dress, useful words.
- Hellohello
- Thank youthank you
- Pleaseplease
- Entries checked on Wiktionary.
- Religions: Christian 97.5%, other 0.6%, unaffiliated 1.9%.
- Languages: Oshiwambo languages 49.7%, Nama/Damara 11%, Kavango languages 10.4%, Afrikaans 9.4%, Herero languages 9.2%, Zambezi languages 4.9%, English (official) 2.3%, other African languages 1.5%, other European languages 0.7%, other 1% (2016 est.).
Festivals and events
The big dates.
- National holiday
Independence Day, 21 March (1990) ; independence: 21 March 1990 (from South African mandate).
Fixed dates and moveable events, each with its source; moveable dates change every year and are to be checked on an official calendar.
Did you know?
Three things to remember.
The country’s highest point, Brandberg, reaches 2,573 m.
3,092,816 inhabitants in 2025 on 825,615 km², about 4 per km².
Independence on 21 March 1990 (from South African mandate).
Gallery
See it before you go.
Real photographs: free images under a verified licence and Viafro images. Never a generated image. Credits in the footer.
Share your trip with #viafro: the best images will join this gallery, with your credit.
Live, work, invest
A few key figures.
Sourced data (World Bank). No investment advice.
GDP per capita (current US$)4.9World Bank · 2025GDP growth1.7 %World Bank · 2025Inflation (consumer prices)3.5 %World Bank · 2025Unemployment (ILO estimate)19.3 %World Bank · 2025International tourist arrivals187.1World Bank · 2020
World Bank data (World Development Indicators), consulted on 28 Oct 2026. Tourist arrivals are the latest year published.
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Sources and verification dates · 21 sources, checked on 28 Oct 2026
Travel advice · GOV.UK (FCDO)Entry, visa, safety: the official page, kept up to date by the ministry. Travel health · US CDCVaccines and precautions from a reference medical source. World Heritage · UNESCOThe country’s inscribed sites and tentative list. WikidataCapital and currency, verified structured data.
- Wikidata · Namibia (Q1030)
- World Bank · World Development Indicators
- GOV.UK (FCDO) · Namibia · Foreign travel advice · Entry requirements (page updated on 19 Oct 2026)
- GOV.UK (FCDO) · Namibia · Foreign travel advice · Health (page updated on 19 Oct 2026)
- GOV.UK (FCDO) · Namibia · Foreign travel advice · Safety and security (page updated on 19 Oct 2026)
- Rough Guides · Best time to visit Namibia
- Wiktionary · Checked entries (English)
- Wikipedia · Kapana (grilled meat) (en article, dish verification; Viafro description)
- Wikipedia · Cuisine namibienne (fr article, dish verification; Viafro description)
- Wikipedia · Potjiekos (pt article, dish verification; Viafro description)
- Wikipedia · Gonimbrasia belina (en article, dish verification; Viafro description)
- Wikipedia · Braai
- Wikipedia · Oshikundu
- Wikipedia · Windhoek
- Wikipedia · Swakopmund
- Wikipedia · Parc national d'Etosha
- Wikipedia · Sossusvlei
- CIA World Factbook · Namibia (public domain) (page updated on 29 Oct 2026)
- France Diplomatie · Namibie · Travel advice · Security (zones, in French) (page updated on 15 Sept 2026)
- Wikidata · Airports of the country (IATA code, traffic) (page updated on 29 Oct 2026)
- Wikipedia (climate normals) · Windhoek · monthly normals (Deutscher Wetterdienst{{cite web) (page updated on 29 Oct 2026)
Information checked on 28 Oct 2026. Check the official source before you travel. Viafro gives no safety rating and publishes no price without a source.
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