Windhoek – Namibia will begin issuing Certificates of Domicile to foreign nationals married in good faith to Namibian citizens from 21 September 2026, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security has announced.
The new certificate will replace the Certificate of Identity previously issued to foreign spouses of Namibian citizens and will serve as official proof that the holder is domiciled in Namibia through marriage to a Namibian citizen.
The changes follow amendments to Namibia’s Immigration Control Regulations, which introduced a new application form and prescribed the Certificate of Domicile in terms of Section 22(1)(c) of the Immigration Control Act of 1993, read together with Regulation 30 of the Immigration Regulations.
The Ministry said the Certificate of Identity will now only be used for purposes provided for under Section 38 of the Act.
Foreign spouses seeking the new certificate must complete the prescribed application form and meet the requirements set out by the Ministry. Applications must be submitted in person at designated Ministry counters, where applicants will receive an acknowledgement receipt.
Applications submitted by email will not be accepted.
Applicants must provide a completed and signed application form, a Motivation Affidavit made under oath, and a Support Affidavit made under oath by their Namibian spouse.
They must also submit two recent passport size photographs, a certified copy of their passport data page and certified copies of their spouse’s national documents.
The spouse’s documents must include a birth certificate or citizenship certificate and a Namibian identity document. Where the Namibian spouse does not have an identity document, a passport may be submitted together with an explanation for its absence.
A certified copy of the marriage certificate is also required.
Applicants must provide original police clearance certificates from their country of origin, their most recent country of residence where they lived for more than 12 months, and Namibia.
The Ministry also requires proof of the applicant’s residence status in the country at the time of the marriage, as well as proof of physical residence in Namibia.
Acceptable proof of physical residence may include a municipal bill, a letter or proof from a Traditional Authority or Councillor, or an affidavit.
Applicants who were previously issued with a Certificate of Identity must submit the original expired certificate.
All copies submitted must be certified by a Commissioner of Oaths and must not be older than six months.
The Ministry said applicants and their spouses may be required to attend interviews with immigration officers as part of the verification process.
The interviews may be used to verify information contained in applications and establish the bona fides of the marriage.
Where a marriage has not been recorded in the Marriage Register, the couple will be required to have it registered to ensure that civil registration records are complete and up to date.
Confirmation letters of domicile that were previously issued in place of Certificates of Domicile will remain valid until further notice.
However, holders of those letters have been encouraged to apply for the new Certificates of Domicile as soon as possible. The Ministry said the date for phasing out the confirmation letters would be announced at a later stage.
Once an application has been approved, applicants will be required to pay N$1,600 before the Certificate of Domicile is issued.
The new provision does not extend to dependent children of applicants.
The Ministry said dependent children must continue to obtain a confirmation letter or apply for a Certificate of Identity under Section 38 of the Immigration Control Act of 1993 if they intend to leave Namibia.
The Ministry has urged affected foreign nationals and their Namibian spouses to familiarise themselves with the new requirements and ensure that all required documentation is submitted when applications are made.
The notice was issued by Nghidinua Daniel, Executive Director in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security.
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