Overland Namibia Travel

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West Africa > Namibia Currency to display:

Visiting Namibia

Give a brief overview of what it's like to visit. How easy is the border, how safe is the country, are there great things to see and do, etc.

Entering Namibia with a Car or Motorbike

Correct as of: December 2014

Required Paperwork

(To check if you need a travel Visa for Namibia, application instructions and fees see: Namibia Visa online application at VisaHQ.com)
If entering with South Africa registered vehicle:

  • Vehicle registration
  • Driver's license
  • Passport
  • No copies needed

Process at border

  1. Go to immigration, have passports stamped.
  2. Go to customs, have vehicle info entered in the computer.
  3. Go to cashier, pay the permit fee, and get issued the permit.

Cost of entry

A temporary import permit for a vehicle costs approximately N$300 for a normal passenger vehicle. Larger vehicles and trailers cost additional. Rates are currently listed here: http://www.rfanam.com.na/index.php/table-a-cross-border-charges

Permitted length of stay

Standard vehicle permit is for 90 days.

Extension of stay

Describe the process to extend the permitted length of entry for the vehicle, if possible.

Storing a vehicle and temporarily leaving the country

Overlanders in 2012 left their vehicle in the country while they left and had no problems. Make sure you return and take the vehicle out of the country before the temporary import papers expire.

Exiting with a vehicle

Just turn in your vehicle permit. For us, nothing was checked.

Driving in Namibia

Recommended books for Overlanding in Namibia

Overland Travel Essentials: West Africa: Myths, Miscon...
Overland Travel Essentials: West Africa: Myths, Miscon...
by Dan Grec
From $click on Amazon
Lonely Planet Botswana & Namibia (travel Guide)
Lonely Planet Botswana & Namibia (travel Guide)
by Lonely Planet, Alan Murphy, Anthony Ham, Trent Hol...
From $13.69 on Amazon
Work Less To Live Your Dreams: A Practical Guide To Sa...
Work Less To Live Your Dreams: A Practical Guide To Sa...
by Dan Grec
From $click on Amazon
Overlanders' Handbook: Worldwide Route And Planning Gu...
Overlanders' Handbook: Worldwide Route And Planning Gu...
by Chris Scott
From $22.49 on Amazon
Adventure Motorcycling Handbook: A Route & Planning Gu...
Adventure Motorcycling Handbook: A Route & Planning Gu...
by Chris Scott
From $click on Amazon
Namibia Handbook, 5th: Tread Your Own Path (footprint ...
Namibia Handbook, 5th: Tread Your Own Path (footprint ...
by Lizzie Williams
From $6.93 on Amazon
TRAVELIVING - a romantic & practical guide

TRAVELIVING - a romantic & practical guide
by The Pin Project

at 10$ on thepinproject.eu

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

State the kind of driving licenses required. i.e. International Driving Permit.

Driving side of road

Left.
Unknown if LHD vehicles can be driven in Namibia.

Mandatory items in vehicle

State any mandatory items that must be carried in the vehicle. (i.e. safety triangle, first aid kit, fire extinguisher, etc.)

Roads

General Road quality

Give a brief description of the general road quality. Mention if one way streets are common.

Road signs

Briefly describe the overall quality & existence of road signs for directions and hazards.

Toll roads

List the frequency and approximate price of toll roads.

Bribery in Namibia

Briefly describe how common bribery is and whether it should be expected, and the best way to deal with it.

Checkpoints

describe the frequency of checkpoints (police or military and what to expect.

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: October 2012

Currency and unit to display:

Gasoline Grade Price
Unleaded €1.04 EUR per Liter[1]
Diesel €1.07 EUR per Liter[1]

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 occassionally run out. Most national parks do have petrol stations, and reliability is good.

Gas and Diesel Quality

Discuss if gasoline / diesel considered "clean" or "dirty", and generally high or low quality.
State the sulfur content of diesel, if known.

Safety and Security Considerations

Driving at night

Discuss driving at night and if it should it be avoided. Mention why.

Vehicle parking

Discuss if vehicles can be parked on the street, if they are considered "safe" at night. If vehicles can not be parked on the street, list the other options that exist.

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

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. Many remote areas are owned by diamond mines, and patrolled by shoot-first-ask-later guards. 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.

Navigation

Paper maps

Reise Know-How are amoung the best paper maps. Purchase paper maps before arriving in Namibia

Road Map Of Namibia
Road Map Of Namibia
by tracks4africa
From $39.52 on Amazon
Namibia
Namibia
by Reise Know-How Verlag
From $13.69 on Amazon
Namibia (national Geographic Adventure Map)
Namibia (national Geographic Adventure Map)
by National Geographic Maps - Adventure
From $11.85 on Amazon
Namibia (national Geographic Adventure Map)
Namibia (national Geographic Adventure Map)
by National Geographic Maps - Adventure
From $11.85 on Amazon
Lonely Planet South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland (trave...
Lonely Planet South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland (trave...
by Lonely Planet, James Bainbridge, Jean-Bernard Cari...
From $15.74 on Amazon

GPS Maps of Namibia

Tracks4Africa are the undisputed best GPS maps for Africa.
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 Map Of Africa
Gps Map Of Africa
From $click on Amazon

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

List any special items / places that are popular with Overlanders

Vehicle Maintenance

Dealers

4x4s / Trucks

Motorbikes

Local Garages

  • Keetmanshoop - Dieter, owner of Herboth Garage / After hours cell is 081 298 6064

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.

  1. 1.0 1.1 World petrol prices, gas prices, diesel prices|MyTravelCost.com

Helpful External links

Add any helpful external links here.