Permanent Residence in Namibia

Permanent residency is your legal resident status, whereby you are entitled to live in Namibia permanently.
To qualify for a Namibian permit, you must have lived in the country for 10 years under one valid work permit or another, you must have been married to a citizen or permanent resident for at least 10 years, or you must have had your Certificate of Identity for 10 years.

Who can apply for a Namibian Permanent Residence Permit?

There are five paths that allow for Namibia permit applications:

1. Spouses or partners who have been married to Namibian citizens and have had a certificate of identity for at least 10 years
2. Naturalised persons who have worked on a valid work permit in Namibia for a minimum of 10 years.
3. Business investors who have operated a business in Namibia (on a valid work permit) for over five years.
4. Retirees who are 60 years and above and have the financial means to live in Namibia independently.
5. Spouses and children may also qualify for a Namibian permit. However, adult children (21 years and above) must apply independently.

Note: Home Affairs regulations require a minimum of N$4 million investment value for all permanent residence permit applications (with rare exceptions). The investment value can be a combination of assets, funds in the bank, retirement funds, and other investments. Part of your wealth should already be invested in Namibia (for example, a property or a Namibian bank account) to show your commitment to the country. You must be able to draw a monthly income sufficient to survive independently in Namibia.

Applications for Namibian visas are considered on merit. Requirements differ depending on whether you currently work in Namibia, are an investor, are retired, or have some other status. However, some requirements for Namibian permits are the same, regardless of circumstance.

• Completed application forms
• Declaration form
• Medical and radiological certificates
• Copies of all types of certificates, including birth/marriage/divorce/death certificates or letters
• Copy of passport<
• Two current passport photographs
• Both types of police clearance certificates, i.e. from your home country and Namibia
• Highest educational and training certificates
• Motivational letters
• Detailed CV
• Latest employment contract
• Taxpayer certificate
• Work references and recommendation letters
• Proof of financial resources to maintain yourself while living in Namibia; for example, six months’ bank statements (Namibian and foreign), pension funds, investment policies, business financial statements, bank guarantee letters, and proof of property ownership (Namibian and foreign)
• In the case of minors, a letter from the relevant institute of learning.
• Written consent from both parents or guardians for applicants younger than 21
• Deed of surety
• Power of Attorney granting IBN Immigration Solutions to act on your behalf
• Company documents – applicable if you’re submitting your application for permanent residence through the investment path.
• Proof of current legal status in Namibia<

Note: We may require additional documentation not mentioned above

There are two sets of costs for permanent resident applications.

N$13,000 service fee; 50% payable in advance before we start working on the case.
The remaining 50% is payable before we submit it to Home Affairs.

N$20,000 government processing costs, payable only upon approval.

Note: Ensure you have these amounts immediately to hand, so there are no delays when submitting your application for a Namibian visa.

If you want to apply for a Namibia permit, contact us, and one of our Namibian immigration specialists will assess your case to see if you qualify for the permit.
Should you meet the qualifying criteria for a Namibian visa, your consultant will give you details of the application process, including documentation requirements and fees.

Note: If you’re having trouble acquiring some of the documents necessary for your Namibian permit, let your consultant know, and they will procure them for you.

1. Complete all the documents and send them to your Namibian immigration consultant for review.
2. If the consultant deems everything finished and accounted for, they will send your application for a Namibia permit for an in-house quality check.
3. After it’s passed the quality check, your consultant will submit your application pack to the relevant Namibian Immigration Authority.
4. The above process takes approximately 3 – 4 weeks.

Note: Processing time for applications is approximately six months from the date of submission to Home Affairs.

What happens after my application for a Namibia visa has been approved?

1. Once your application for permanent residence in Namibia has been approved, you must immediately pay the government fee to IBN, and we will transfer the amount to Home Affairs.
2. If you aren’t already living in Namibia, you have six months to enter the country.
3. Once you are in Namibia, you must send or deliver your passport (or passports if you’re with your family) to us. We will submit the passport(s) to Home Affairs for the Permanent Residence certificates to be issued and the permit endorsed in your passport(s).
4. When the certificates are ready and the passports have been endorsed, your Namibian immigration consultant will accompany you to Home Affairs to sign the certificates and collect your passport(s).

Note: The Permanent Residence status is endorsed in your passport up to the validity of your passport. If you have a new passport, contact us, and we’ll help you get the stamp transferred to the new passport.