Overland Namibia Travel
West Africa > Namibia
Currency to display:
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
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
- Go to immigration, have passports stamped.
- Go to customs, have vehicle info entered in the computer.
- 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/cbc.html
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
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
- 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. 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.
Paper maps
Reise Know-How are amoung the best paper maps. Purchase paper maps before arriving in Namibia
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 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
- Toyota Global Dealer Locator
- Land Rover International Dealer Locator
- Mercedes Benz International (select country on bottom right)
- Jeep International site locator
Motorbikes
Local Garages
Add known good mechanics here.
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
