Several Namibians living in Europe say prolonged delays in obtaining passports, identity documents and other consular paperwork are leaving them struggling with travel, studies, employment and residence permit processes.
The Namibia Cultural Association (NCA), an organisation representing Namibians across Europe, says they face ongoing difficulties with consular services, including delays, poor communication and problems obtaining passports and other important documents.
Association chairperson Karoro Kotjipati says the complaints from their members point to broader concerns about the accessibility, communication and tracking of consular services for Namibians living in Europe.
“The association is preparing to present the Ministry of International Relations and Trade with a practical European Union consular services improvement proposal, which includes a central online portal for passport and identity document applications, birth registrations, emergency travel documents, appointments and application tracking,” he says.
Some Namibians living in Europe, who have spoken to The Namibian on condition of anonymity for fear of being victimised, say they fear losing their residence due to delays in their documents.
A Namibian from Okakarara who has lived in Germany for four years says she applied for a new passport and identity document at the Namibian embassy in Berlin in March 2025, but has yet to receive her documents. The woman says she was asked to complete forms twice after being told the first application was incorrect.
Living about nine hours from Berlin and having a toddler, she says travelling to the embassy repeatedly is difficult.
“For the past year, I’ve tried to contact the embassy with no outcome,” she says.
The woman says the delay has resulted in her not being able to renew her German residence permit and to travel.
A Namibian student in Germany describes a similar experience after applying for a new identity document (ID) and passport following a change of surname after marriage.
After repeated mix-ups with her documents, she says she now has to travel to Namibia to resolve the matter. “That was the breaking point for me,” she says.
Another Namibian living in Europe says she has travelled eight hours to Berlin for assistance, only to be informed that the office does not help customers after 14h00.
Another Namibian says she applied for a passport for her son, who was born in Germany in September 2023, in November that year, but has still not received the document or confirmation of his Namibian nationality.
She says her family has submitted the required documents and travelled to Berlin several times, but has been repeatedly asked to resend documents.
The woman says the family was later advised that travelling to Namibia might speed up the process, but this was difficult because her son’s German immigration document could prevent him from returning to Germany.
The NCA proposes clear service-response standards for enquiries and complaints, as well as a dedicated European Union consular service desk within the ministry to monitor delayed cases, coordinate operations between diplomatic missions and Windhoek, and address recurring concerns raised by Namibians abroad.
The Ministry of International Relations and Trade has acknowledged concerns regarding consular service delivery and says some applicants may experience prolonged delays.
Executive director Ndiitah Nghipondoka-Robiati says delays are due to factors such as the couriering of original documents from diplomatic missions to the ministry’s headquarters, verification of information and applicants submitting incomplete or unclear documentation.
The ministry says it is reviewing individual cases with relevant offices and is also working to re-engineer the application process and improve communication between diplomatic missions and applicants.
