Namibia · Work
Namibia Employment permit
Employment Permit (Immigration Control Act 7 of 1993)
Checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Employment permit is a work route for Namibia. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
- Government fees
- NAD 2,600/yr ≈ $160
Cost, time and long term
Government feesNAD 2,600/yr ≈ $160
- NAD 2,600 a year (≈ $160)Employment permit fee for the first application and each one-year extension.
RenewalRenewable
The Immigration Selection Board can extend the permit's period or change its conditions.
CitizenshipGeneral rule: 10 years as a permanent resident
Naturalisation needs ten continuous years of ordinary residence in Namibia, and the Citizenship Act does not count time when your right to reside rests only on a temporary permit.
Where to applyAbroad or in-country
The permit can be issued to enter Namibia or, if you are already in Namibia, to reside there for the work.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Needs a job offer from an employer in Namibia
What you'll need
Who can apply2
- The Board must be satisfied that your qualifications, training or experience make you efficient in the employment, business, profession or occupation.
- The Board must be satisfied that not enough people in Namibia are already engaged in that employment, business, profession or occupation.
What you must show and pay1
- A fee of NAD 2,600 a year (≈ $160) · Employment permit fee for the first application and each one-year extension.
Documents8
- The employer submits the work offer (employer's representation form) and a company profile.
- Proof of advertising the vacancy in a local newspaper is required.
- CVs or details of unsuccessful Namibian candidates are required.
- Proof of Social Security Commission registration is required.
- A deed of surety signed by a bank or employer is required.
- Medical and radiological reports are required.
- Police clearance from the country of origin and the last country of residence is required.
- Professional board registration is required where applicable.
After you arrive3
- Renewal needs proof of being a taxpayer in Namibia.
- Renewal needs a progress report on training Namibian employees.
- Renewal needs a favourable local police clearance.
When you become tax resident
How Namibia decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Tax residence
The Act taxes by source (income within or deemed within Namibia), so foreign-source income of an individual is outside gross income as defined; the Act refers to persons ordinarily resident.
- Foreign-source income
Territorial
The Act taxes by source (income within or deemed within Namibia), so foreign-source income of an individual is outside gross income as defined; the Act refers to persons ordinarily resident.
All tax rules for Namibia Tax records checked
Full official text
Employment permit to work, run a business or practise a profession in Namibia. The Immigration Selection Board must be satisfied that the applicant is qualified and that not enough people in Namibia already do that work; it is issued for one year at a time with a deed of surety and local-hire evidence. 1 2 3
What you must show and pay
- A fee of NAD 2,600 a year (≈ $160) · Employment permit fee for the first application and each one-year extension. 1 2
Requirements
- The Board must be satisfied that your qualifications, training or experience make you efficient in the employment, business, profession or occupation. 3
- The Board must be satisfied that not enough people in Namibia are already engaged in that employment, business, profession or occupation. 3
- The employer submits the work offer (employer's representation form) and a company profile. 1
- Proof of advertising the vacancy in a local newspaper is required. 1
- CVs or details of unsuccessful Namibian candidates are required. 1
- Proof of Social Security Commission registration is required. 1
- A deed of surety signed by a bank or employer is required. 1
- Medical and radiological reports are required. 1
- Police clearance from the country of origin and the last country of residence is required. 1
- Professional board registration is required where applicable. 1
- Renewal needs proof of being a taxpayer in Namibia. 1
- Renewal needs a progress report on training Namibian employees. 1
- Renewal needs a favourable local police clearance. 1
Stay
- Issued per year and renewable annually.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Work
The employment, business, profession or occupation for which the permit is issued, under the conditions stated in it.
Family
The Board may authorise the spouse and dependent child who accompany or live with the permit holder to enter and reside in Namibia on the same employment permit (Immigration Control Act, section 27(5)). The Ministry's fee page, as recorded on 10 October 2026, lists N$1,600 a year for the accompanying family.
Fine print
The Ministry of Home Affairs site (fees and permit pages) could not be reached on 12 October 2026 because of a certificate error, so the fee and the document list could not be read again. The family rule and the Board's tests are from the Immigration Control Act, section 27.
Official sources
- All Permits General Information · Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security, Namibia · checked 2026-10-10
- Application Fees · Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security, Namibia · checked 2026-10-10
- Immigration Control Act 7 of 1993 (annotated consolidated text; sections 2, 22, 27 and 28) · Republic of Namibia, Annotated Statutes (Legal Assistance Centre) · checked 2026-10-12
- Namibian Constitution, Article 4 (citizenship) · Republic of Namibia, Annotated Statutes (Legal Assistance Centre) · checked 2026-10-11
- Namibian Citizenship Act 14 of 1990, section 5 · Republic of Namibia, Annotated Statutes (Legal Assistance Centre) · checked 2026-10-11
Employment permit and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment permit | – | – | – |
| Short-term work visa | – | 6 mo | – |
| Employee residence card Morocco | – | 10 yr, renewable | – |
| Corporate visa South Africa | – | 3 yr | Limited |
| Professional Occupation Permit Mauritius | Needs income of MUR 50k+ a month ≈ $1,050 | 10 yr, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Employment permit?
A fee of NAD 2,600 a year (≈ $160). Employment permit fee for the first application and each one-year extension.
How long can I stay on the Employment permit?
Issued per year and renewable annually.
Can I work on the Employment permit?
The employment, business, profession or occupation for which the permit is issued, under the conditions stated in it.
Can I bring my family on the Employment permit?
The Board may authorise the spouse and dependent child who accompany or live with the permit holder to enter and reside in Namibia on the same employment permit (Immigration Control Act, section 27(5)).
How are Employment permit holders taxed in Namibia?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Employment permit. The standard rules apply: Namibia taxes gross income received or accrued from a source within or deemed to be within Namibia, excluding capital receipts; the individual scale in Schedule 4 of the Income Tax Act is 0% to N$100,000 rising to 37% above N$1,550,000.
More in Namibia
Work visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
Ask the AI about this route AI
An AI assistant answers from the published records on this page and cites them. It can't assess your personal eligibility. Don't include personal details.
How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-12 against 5 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- All Permits General Information · Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security, Namibia · checked 2026-10-10
- Application Fees · Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security, Namibia · checked 2026-10-10
- Immigration Control Act 7 of 1993 (annotated consolidated text; sections 2, 22, 27 and 28) · Republic of Namibia, Annotated Statutes (Legal Assistance Centre) · checked 2026-10-12
- Namibian Constitution, Article 4 (citizenship) · Republic of Namibia, Annotated Statutes (Legal Assistance Centre) · checked 2026-10-11
- Namibian Citizenship Act 14 of 1990, section 5 · Republic of Namibia, Annotated Statutes (Legal Assistance Centre) · checked 2026-10-11
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.