Europe UK (Commonwealth Union) – The UK Government made an announcement last week in regards to visas, that will come into effect, for Namibians that will require a visa prior to visiting the UK.
Due to a consistent and significant increase in the number of UK asylum applications from Namibian nationals at the UK border since 2016, a decision has been made to implement a visa regime. This measure is aimed at addressing the misuse of the provision that allows non-visa nationals to visit the UK for a limited period.
The new changes will be immediately applicable to all Namibian nationals intending to travel to the UK. However, there will be a transition period lasting four weeks until 15:00 BST on 16 August 2023. During this grace period, Namibian nationals who have confirmed tickets booked before 19 July 2023 will still be allowed to travel to the UK without obtaining a visa.
British High Commissioner to Namibia, Charles Moore, says “I fully understand that the imposition of a visa regime will be of concern to the many Namibian nationals, who we warmly welcome to visit the United Kingdom as genuine visitors. Unfortunately, the significant increase in asylum claims from Namibian nationals on arrival at the UK border has made it necessary for us to implement these new measures.”
The recently announced changes align Namibia with numerous other visa national countries, including several Commonwealth partners, with whom the UK maintains warm and friendly relations. Introducing visas not only grants access to the UK but also strengthens border security by curbing the misuse of the non-visa provision.
The UK Government’s objective is to process applications within 15 UK working days after receiving the passport and biometrics from the applicants. It’s important to note that applicants have the option to apply for their visas up to 3 months ahead of their intended travel date.
