VISAS
Travelers from various countries staying less than 90 days, do not need a visa when travelling to Namibia for tourism purposes. You can click here to check whether your country is exempt from obtaining a visa to enter the country. However, it is required that ALL DELEGATES PRESENTING AT A CONFERENCE IN NAMIBIA obtain a work visa. This applies to delegates from all countries. Please see the section “Namibian Work Visa” below for more information. Please ensure that you have at least 2 empty pages left in your passport and that the passport is still valid for at least 6 months after the day of departure. Check on the stamp given to you on the day of arrival that the visa period covers the full period of your intended stay. If you are travelling with children under the age of 18, the following is required: when a child travels with both parents, an unabridged birth certificate (in English) and a valid passport are required; a child who travels with just one parent, requires an unabridged birth certificate (in English), a valid passport and a court order/death certificate/affidavit, confirming the other parent has given permission for the child to travel.
For more information about Namibian visas, please click here.
NAMIBIAN WORK VISA
The conference secretary, together with a visa agent in Namibia, will assist you with the application and send you the visa approval letter and a scanned copy of the visa once approved. Should you prefer to apply for a work visa at a Namibian mission in your country, you are welcome to do so. Please choose the relevant option on the conference registration form.
Please see below the requirements for the visa application. The relevant forms can be downloaded below and once completed, be uploaded on the VISA APPLICATION form on the Registration page. Payment of the fee (visa fee plus visa agent handling fee) can be done together with the payment of your conference fees.
Requirements for short term (1 – 3 months) work visa:
- Make sure that all forms have been signed by THE APPLICANT him/herself.
- All documents must be in English or translated into English
- Copy of passport must be certified
- All application forms to be signed by the applicant themselves
- Please submit all as PDF documents
Documentation to be submitted:
- Visa application form (N.3-1/0033) signed by applicant.
If you plan to tour in Namibia before or after the conference, please make sure to include those dates when completing the form, as well as a few days before and after in case of any delays that may occur. Please remember to sign the document at the bottom of page 2.
- CERTIFIED COLOUR copy of Passport (the passport should be valid for at least three months beyond the projected expiration of the work permit and the certification not older than 6 months). Please make sure that all numbers, text, dates and photographs are clear and legible.
- Completed Power of Attorney giving permission for the visa agent in Namibia to handle the application on your behalf. TASA (Tour and Safari Association of Namibia) in Windhoek, Namibia, will assist with the visa applications and they will complete the “AGENT” sections on the form.
On the Power of Attorney form, ONLY COMPLETE THE PARTS MARKED “THE PRINCIPAL”:
Page 1: complete the first four lines of the form
Page 1: on the line SPECIFY APPLICATION TYPE, write: “Application for Work Visa”
Page 2: complete the block on the LEFT at the bottom of the page. Signatures of TWO witnesses are required.
- Payment of the visa cost and handling fee of N$1 560.00 (Visa cost N$1 100.00 plus handling fee of N$460.00). This fee can be paid to the conference account together with your registration fee.
- Additional documentation required for the application, such as a motivation letter from the SAPDC 2023 organising committee and a motivation letter and Namibian Tourism Board Certificate from African Bush Bird Tours, the travel agent in Namibia assisting with the logistical arrangements for the conference, will be added by the conference secretariat to each application before submitting it to TASA.
Date range for submissions: 1 February – 28 February 2023.
Visa delivery: A Visa approval letter will be issued by the Namibian Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security, together with a receipt for the payment of the visa fee. This will be followed by the issuing of the visa, of which a scanned copy will be forwarded to you, and which should be printed in COLOUR. Please bring the visa approval letter, receipt plus the printed copy of the visa with you to show at passport control when entering Namibia.
COVID-19 REGULATIONS
According to regulations published in July 2022, either proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test (maximum 72 hours old) should be presented upon entrance to Namibia.
CURRENCY
Namibia’s currency is the Namibian Dollar (NAD), and this has been interchangeable with South Africa’s Rand for many years. Note that South African Rand notes can be used in Namibia at face value; whereas in South Africa Namibian Dollar notes are worth fractionally less than Rand notes. Foreign currency may be exchanged at banks; most shops, hotels and restaurants take credit cards (Visa & M/card), although fuel stations require cash. Credit and debit cards can also be used to withdraw cash at bank ATMs.
DIETARY REQUIREMENTS
The only special diets which can be offered is vegetarian. Kosher and Halaal meals are unfortunately not available. Please select your dietary requirements on the registration form.
HEALTH REQUIREMENTS
Several vaccines are sensible (typhoid, polio and tetanus), though none is required. Malaria is not widespread, but if you are traveling to the north of the country, or from December to March, you should contact your doctor for recommendations. AIDS is prevalent in Namibia; HIV infection rates are high. For travellers, this is usually not an issue, but they should always be aware of the situation, and take similar precautions to avoid infection.
INTERNET ACCESS AND CONNECTIVITY
Midgard Country Estate offers free Wifi in public areas and in the rooms. However, delegates are requested not to rely on this for the download of large files or live streaming during conference presentations, but rather bring the presentation either on a laptop or USB.
INVITATION LETTERS
Requests for official Letters of Invitation can be requested from the conference secretary. Invitation letters will only be issued once payment of the registration fees have been received.
LANGUAGE
The official language of the conference will be English. No translation services will be available. English is the official language of Namibia, but German, Afrikaans, Oshiwambo and many tribal languages (including Kwangali, Lozi, Nama and Tswana) are also spoke
TRAVEL
Delegates should make their own travel arrangements to and from Namibia. Various international airlines offer flights to Namibia, as listed in the table below. You can also get an idea of flights by clicking here. Should you require any assistance or advice, please contact the conference secretary or Tanya Förtsch at African Bush Bird Tours.
Pre-and post conference tours
Contact for all tours in Namibia and travel- and tour related queries:
African Bush Bird Tours
Windhoek, Namibia
Tel: +264-61-256848 Cell: +264-81-889 9199
Email: info@bushbird.com
Contact person: Tanya Förtsch
Organised travel to and from Midgard
Airport transfers from Hosea Kutako International Airport to Midgard Country Estate will be arranged by the organisers of SAPDC 2023. The transfers by bus will be scheduled on specific days and times to accommodate different flight arrival and departure times. Please keep the schedule below in mind when planning your flights to and from Namibia. If you book and pay for airport transfers, the conference secretary will contact you closer to the time of the conference for your flight schedule and to issue you with a voucher for the bus. Please note that this voucher will only be valid for use on the dedicated conference transport. These transfers will only apply from Hosea Kutako International Airport to Midgard and back.
| Date | Route | Transfer | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 April 2023 | HKIA to Midgard | 1 | 09:30 |
| HKIA to Midgard | 2 | 11:00 | |
| HKIA to Midgard | 3 | 14:30 | |
| 17 April 2023 | HKIA to Midgard | 1 | 09:30 |
| HKIA to Midgard | 2 | 14:30 | |
| 22 April 2023 | Midgard to HKIA | 1 | 06:00 |
| Midgard to HKIA | 2 | 10:30 | |
| Midgard to HKIA | 3 | 16:00 |
If you arrive before the dates listed in the table, or leave after the departure date, additional accommodation can be booked at Midgard or at other lodges in the area. Transfers to Midgard from Windhoek or other destinations will be for your own cost. If you stay close to the airport, you could still make use of the organised airport transfers, as long as you meet the bus at the airport for one of the scheduled trips. African Bush Bird Tours will also be able to assist with these bookings.
Accommodation options around Hosea Kutako Airport
Private travel
Should you make use of your own transport, you can make your own way to Midgard. Various care rental companies are represented at Hosea Kutako International Airport. Distances are long, but the region has some of the finest roads in Africa. Traffic is light; driving is on the left and normally a pleasure. The main roads are tarmac and the gravel roads in more remote areas are well maintained. Midgard offers free parking to delegates .
TELEPHONE
The international dialing code for Namibia is +264; area codes are also used. To call from Namibia, “00”, followed by the relevant country code should be dialed.
TIME
Namibia observes Central Africa Time (UTC+2) all year. There are no Daylight Saving Time clock changes. For more information, please click here.
WEATHER AND CLIMATE
Namibia’s climate is generally very hot and dry, with little rain. For more information about Namibia’s weather and average temperatures in April, click here
GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR PARTICIPANTS TO SAPDC 2023
- Registration fees
All participants must pay the registration fee prior to arrival at the conference. Participants are also advised to have a copy of their payment slip when going to the registration desk at the symposium just in case they are requested to show proof of the payment on their arrival.
- Cancellation Policy
Registration cancellations must be notified in writing by email to the SAPDC 2023 secretary, Thereza Botha
Cancellations received before or on 15 February 2023 will be levied a 50% cancellation fee. Cancellations made after 15 February 2023 will be subject to a 100% cancellation fee.
Participants must make sure they receive an acknowledgement of their cancellation from the conference secretariat. Only this will confirm that their request has been received and processed.
- Liability
The Organising Committee of SAPDC 2023 reserves the right to amend any part of the Conference programme if required, at any time.
The Organising Committee of SAPDC 2023 and the conference organiser will not accept liability for damages of any nature sustained by delegates or accompanying persons, or loss of, or damage to their personal property as a result of the conference or related events.
In the event of industrial disruption or other unforeseen circumstances, the Organising Committee of SAPDC 2023 and the conference organiser accept no responsibility for loss of monies incurred by delegates.
- Personal Insurance
The Organising Committee of SAPDC 2023 and the conference organiser cannot be held responsible for healthcare, dental and ambulance services during its conferences or events. We strongly recommend that participants take out comprehensive personal, medical and travel insurance, which should cover the possibility of flight cancellation due to strikes and other causes. Therefore, the Organising Committee of SAPDC 2023 and the conference organiser accept no responsibility of any nature whatsoever for personal injury, death, loss or damage to property or participants however caused or arising.
- Privacy Legislation
In registering for SAPDC 2023 relevant details will be incorporated into a participant list for the benefit of all delegates. Normally this information would be: name, surname, institution, country and email address. These details may also be available to parties directly related to the conference including the venues and accommodation providers. The Organising Committee may use these details to inform current participants of conference updates or future conferences via email. Participants are responsible for advising the Organising Committee if they do not wish to have their email addresses included in the conference participant list.
