Home affairs increases permit fees

NAMIBIA has increased permit application fees for international students, those seeking permanent residence status as well as for the replacement of lost identity cards.

The increases also include applications for new passports, marriage certificates and birth certificates, and were approved last month and announced by information deputy minister Stanley Simataa at a media briefing on the outcome of the 20th Cabinet meeting last week.

Fees for residence permits will go up from N$12 000 to N$18 000, while international students at tertiary institutions will now pay N$2 000 for study permits, up from N$1 400.

First-time applications for national documents such as birth and death certificates, marriage certificates and identity documents are currently free, but for a duplicate or correction of birth certificates, a fee of N$50 was charged.

A duplicate of a death or marriage certificate, and identity documents will now cost N$100 each.

Simataa said with the revised fees, minors would be required to pay N$100 and adults N$300 to change their surnames.

The new fees for correcting parents’ particulars is N$75, and re-registration or insertion of a father’s particulars is N$100.

Other changes to national documents, such as altering surnames, will now cost applicants N$75, and the changing of first names and applications for access to records is N$100.

Simataa said diplomatic passports and official passports will still be offered for free, but if one applies for a duplicate, they will pay N$400.

The application for an ordinary passport will cost N$200, while a duplicate will be N$400.

Those seeking to replace damaged or lost passports, including emergency travel certificates, will pay N$300.

Simataa added that the application for a duplicate citizenship certificate (descent) and a duplicate citizenship naturalisation certificate would be N$150.

A new citizenship certificate (naturalisation) and a naturalisation of marriage citizenship certificate will cost N$1 000 each, while the duplicate will cost N$200.

Fees for visas and permits issued to foreigners were also reviewed.

Simataa said first-time applications for visas and extension for 90 days per year would be N$500, while first-time applications for employment certificates and extensions per year will cost N$2 500.

International pupils applying for study permits for primary and secondary schools will pay N$1 500 per year.

However, no charges would be required from people from countries that have visa-free agreements with Namibia.

The deputy minister added that the revised fees would be effective as soon as they are published in the Government Gazette.

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