Overland Namibia Travel
West Africa > Namibia
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Contents
- 1 Visiting Namibia
- 2 Entering Namibia with a Car or Motorbike
- 3 Driving in Namibia
- 4 Gas price in Namibia and Diesel price in Namibia
- 5 Safety and Security Considerations
- 6 Camping in Namibia
- 7 Navigation
- 8 Special Overland Travel interests
- 9 Vehicle Maintenance
- 10 Buy or sell a car or motorbike in Namibia
- 11 References
- 12 Helpful External links
Visiting Namibia
Namibia is an enormous country with a lot to see and do. Stunning wildlife, national parks and natural wonders abound. The cities are modern and infrastructure very good.
Entering Namibia with a Car or Motorbike
Correct as of: August 2017
Travel Visa for Namibia
The travel visa for Namibia is free for virtually all Nationalities, and is given at the border.
Duration is 90 days.
Required Paperwork
- Passport of registered owner.
- Drivers license of registered owner.
- Original vehicle registration.
- (OPTIONAL) Carnet de Passage.
(no copies are required)
NOTE: If you are driving into any country in the South Africa Customs Union (SACU) (Namibia, South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland) You do not require a Carnet de Passage. If you are shipping into or out of any of those countries, you absolutely must have a Carnet de Passage, no exceptions.
If you don't have a Carnet de Passage and are driving in, many of those countries will only issue a 14 day Temp Import Permit. If you go to South Africa, you will be issued a 6 month Temp Import Permit, which you can use in all the SACU countires. So once you have the 6 month one from South Africa, travel between all those countries is extremely simple - you don't even need to visit customs or complete any vehicle-related paperwork at all.
Process at border
- Get yourself stamped in at Immigration.
- Go to Customs to get a temporary import for the vehicle. Using the vehicle registration the officer will write out an import form, valid for 14 days.
- If you have a Carnet de Passage, you don't need the import form.
Cost of entry
The Temp Import Permit is free, as is entry with a Carnet de Passage.
All foreign vehicles must pay three months of road tax (call cross border charges) every time they enter the country, and the price varies with the weight of the vehicle. For a regular 4x4 the cost is R295.00 ZAR. See the full price list here [1]
Permitted length of stay
Temp import permit is for 14 days.
Extension of stay
The Temp import permit can be extended at customs for another 14 days. Ask really, really, really nicely and they will give you a lot more time - 3 months in my case.
Storing a vehicle and temporarily leaving the country
You can easily leave the vehicle in the country while you leave. There are plenty of good storage places near Windhoek Make sure you return and take the vehicle out of the country before the temporary import papers expire, or your carnet expires.
Exiting with a vehicle
- Get yourself stamped out at Immigration.
- Get your Carnet de Passage stamped out if you have one.
- Road Tax will be checked and cancelled so you can't use it on your next entry.
Driving in Namibia
Recommended books for Overlanding in Namibia
Travel insurance for Namibia
World Nomads offer the most flexible Travel Insurance at the best prices for multi-country / multi-year trips. You can buy, extend and claim online, even after you've left home.
Vehicle insurance requirements
Third party cover is provided by the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund which is funded via a percentage charge on fuel and therefore cover all road users automatically. Note it only covers third party liability for personal injury/death not damage to a third party's property.
Cost of vehicle insurance
Covered by the purchase of gasoline/diesel
Where to purchase vehicle insurance
N/A
Driving license
Anything from your home country will be accepted.
Driving side of road
Left.
LHD vehicles can be driven in Namibia with No restrictions.
Mandatory items in vehicle
You probably need two safety triangles, first aid kit, and fire extinguisher. It's a good idea to have them to avoid a ticket.
Roads
General Road quality
Highways are paved and are excellent. Secondary roads are bad pavement or gravel. Gravel roads can be severely, severely, severely corrugated.
Road signs
Are typically very good.
Toll roads
None.
Bribery in Namibia
Bribery is extremely uncommon in Namibia. Don't assume it's happening, you might get in more trouble if you offer money.
Checkpoints
Checkpoints are extremely rare in Namibia, with only a couple of friendly ones on the way into and out of Windhoek. Don't worry, you will have no problem. There are agricultural checkpoints in some rural areas, where officials will confiscate meat and dairy items.
Traveling with pets
List the entry requirements and anything else required to travel with a pet.
Gas price in Namibia and Diesel price in Namibia
Last updated: August 2017
Currency and unit to display:
| Gasoline Grade | Price |
|---|---|
| Unleaded | R11.39 ZAR per Liter |
| Diesel | R11.39 ZAR per Liter (available as 50ppm or 500ppm sulphur - same price) |
Gas and Diesel Availability / Frequency
Petrol stations are prevalent on major roads. However, in remote areas, especially Northwestern Namibia, gas stations can be rare and do occasionally run out. Most national parks do have petrol stations, and reliability is good.
Gas and Diesel Quality
Gasoline is clean, and diesel can be bought in low or high sulphur - 50ppm or 500ppm
Safety and Security Considerations
Driving at night
Is not typically recommended due to road hazards and wild animals. It's pretty safe, but be careful.
Vehicle parking
Vehicles should be fine on the street during the day - often there are parking attendants you can pay a couple of Nam Dollars to watch your car. Try to find secure parking overnight.
Special driving considerations
Major roads in Namibia are good tarmac, with occasional unexpected potholes. But there are only a few major roads. All other roads are dirt or gravel and are generally well maintained. Some become corrugated, especially at the end of high season. Ask for local advice for conditions ahead of you. The road up the Skeleton coast is salt, which is just like tarmac, unless it rains, when it becomes very slippery and dangerous.
Security advisories and information
- Country Specific Information - U.S. Department of State
- Travel Reports and Warnings - Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
- Travel advice by country - Foreign and Commonwealth office (U.K.)
- Travel Advice for Namibia - Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Camping in Namibia
Pay campsite are common throughout Namibia. Most campsites in national parks are administered by NWR: http://www.nwr.com.na/ Reservations can be made online, and are recommended in busy seasons. Well established lodges can charge upwards of N$200 per person. Less popular ares will share a more reasonable N$50 per person.
Wild camping is not uncommon in unpopulated areas throughout the country. But be careful that camping is not prohibited. Also many reserves have strict no wild camping policies and fines are quite steep.
Camping guide books
List and link to books specifically for camping.
Drinking water
Tap water is safe to drink in almost all of the country. In rural areas, especially seaside towns, ask first.
Paper maps
Reise Know-How are amoung the best paper maps. Purchase paper maps before arriving in Namibia
GPS Maps of Namibia
- Garmin Open Street Maps has excellent coverage of all roads - highways and cities.
- Tracks4Africa is an SD Card for Garmin GPS, and contain Routable turn-by-turn maps with 809,000 kms of roads and over 129,000 points of interest.
GPS co-ordinates for camping, propane, gas, repairs, etc. in Namibia
- iOverlander is a website and iPhone application designed by Overlanders, for Overlanders. It contains GPS co-ordinates and reviews for camping, hotels, propane, water, mechanics, borders and much more.
Link to sites that have a list of GPS co-ordinates (or directions) for camping locations (including "wild" campsites), propane filling, gas stations, repair shops, places of interest, etc.
Special Overland Travel interests
- Many, many places deserve to be explored! Any guide book will give you a good start
Vehicle Maintenance
Dealers
4x4s / Trucks
- Toyota Global Dealer Locator
- Land Rover International Dealer Locator
- Mercedes Benz International (select country on bottom right)
- Jeep International site locator
Motorbikes
Local Garages
- Keetmanshoop - Dieter, owner of Herboth Garage / After hours cell is 081 298 6064
- Windhuk - Kobus Barnard, owner of Olympia Auto Repairs, Southern Ind Area, 9 Diehl Street, +264 81 262 3270
Buy or sell a car or motorbike in Namibia
Buy
Describe how a foreigner can buy a vehicle.
List any difficulties or limitations on where the vehicle can be driven.
Sell
Describe how a foreigner can sell a foreign-plated vehicle, or list not possible.'
References
Links to the source of any information - blogs or discussion forums, etc.
Helpful External links
Add any helpful external links here.
- Namibia: Visa and Passport requirements | World Travel Guide
- Health Information for Travelers to Namibia - Center for Disease Control and Prevention
- Namibia travel guides at wikivoyage
- Namibia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
