US nationals traveling to Namibia will soon be required to obtain a visa prior to entry, Washington’s embassy has announced. The country in southern Africa, a major tourist destination, had traditionally allowed free entry to Americans and visitors from several other parts of the world.
In a statement on Tuesday, the US mission in the Namibian capital, Windhoek, said the new measure would take effect on April 1.
“Visitors are recommended to apply for their visa in advance of planned travel through Namibia’s online visa on arrival portal,” it stated.
“Visitors arriving in Windhoek, Walvis Bay, or entering at high volume border crossing points… will also have the option of purchasing a tourist visa upon arrival at the respective airport or border crossing point,” it added.
The UK High Commission in Windhoek has also updated its travel advice, urging British nationals to apply for a visa before visiting Namibia or be prepared to obtain one upon arrival.
Read more: Chinese doctors successfully transplant pig liver into human
“The cost is 1,600 Namibian dollars [around $87] per person, regardless of the age of the traveler,” according to the British government.
Along with Germany, the UK, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Canada, and Austria, the US is among the top 10 Western countries whose tourists visit Namibia, according to an official.
Last year, Windhoek announced the new visa policy and plans to revoke exemption status for 31 countries, including the country’s major overseas tourism markets, citing a lack of reciprocity.
Read more: US adds 80 companies to export blacklist over security concerns
Russia is among the foreign countries whose citizens are unaffected by Windhoek’s restrictions. Earlier this month, Yulia Maksutova, deputy director of Moscow’s Center for Strategic Research, said Russia had visa-free entry agreements with Namibia, Botswana, Cape Verde, Mauritius, Tunisia, South Africa, and the Seychelles.
The implementation of the measure comes days after the country swore in its first female president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. The 72-year-old member of the South West Africa People’s Organisation party, which has governed the sparsely populated country for over three decades, received more than 57% of the votes in elections last December.