The Namibian government is set to end visa-free entry for Canada, USA, UK, and 21 European nations as well as some Asian countries that have not reciprocated its visa exemption efforts.

Expected to be implemented in April 2025, the development will mean that citizens of such countries will be required to have a visa for entry into the country.

“Namibia has extended gestures of goodwill and favourable treatment to nationals of various countries. However, despite these efforts, certain nations have not reciprocated,” read a statement from Namibia’s immigration ministry in May.

“In light of this disparity, the government has deemed it necessary to implement a visa requirement to ensure parity and fairness in diplomatic interactions,” it went on.

The British High Commissioner to Namibia, Charles Moore, as quoted by the BBC, said he respected the right of Namibia to impose new regulations.

“[The UK] unfortunately imposed a visa regime on Namibia last year due to the number of asylum seekers we were receiving. That was impacting on our relationship with Namibia,” he said.

A statement from the UK government further explained there had been a sustained and significant increase in the number of asylum applications from Namibians at the UK border since 2016.

“This constitutes an abuse of the provision to visit the UK for a limited period as non-visa nationals,” it said.

Western visas are not easy to get not only in Namibia but almost in all African countries. For instance, the European Union made more than €53m ($58m; £45m) on rejected visa applications from African countries in 2023, according to a recent report by the Lago Collective, a think-tank that focuses on migration.

Visas can be rejected for multiple reasons.

The report says most rejections are based on “reasonable doubt about the visa applicant’s intention to return home.”

In June 2024, the price of Schengen short-term visas went up from €80 to €90 for adults, and in October 2023, the UK visa fee rose from £100 to £115.

Agencies