WINDHOEK – Namibia will introduce a new employment permit for qualifying foreign investors and businesspeople from 1 September 2026, allowing them to work and conduct business in the country for up to five years.
The Employment Permit to Conduct Business is intended to reduce immigration procedures for investors and provide greater certainty to people establishing or expanding businesses in Namibia.
The permit follows amendments to Regulation 17 of the Immigration Control Act of 1993, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security. 
“The Employment Permit to Conduct Business is designed specifically for investors and business persons, and forms part of ongoing efforts to streamline investment-related processes,” the Ministry said.
“The new permit may be issued for a period of up to five (5) years, as opposed to the usual two-year period applicable to employment permits. This longer validity period is intended to provide greater certainty for investors and support long-term business planning and investment in Namibia.”
The new arrangement will allow approved investors to conduct business and work in Namibia under one permit.
It will also reduce the number of times qualifying foreign investors need to renew their employment permits, with government expecting the reform to attract more foreign direct investment and support industrialisation, economic growth and job creation.
How applications will work
Applicants will not receive the five year permit automatically.
They must first be assessed as investors by the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board.
NIPDB will examine the proposed investment, conduct an economic evaluation and assess its potential contribution to Namibia before submitting qualifying applications to the Chief of Immigration.
The Immigration Selection Board will then consider the application before a permit can be issued.
Applications will be submitted manually through NIPDB under the new process.
Foreign nationals who do not qualify under the investor category will continue applying through the existing Employment Permit process.
Successful applicants will pay N$2,600, the fee currently charged for a General Employment Permit. The fee is reported as applying per year.
The Ministry said the new application forms and requirements would be available at Home Affairs offices across Namibia, on the Ministry’s website, at the One Stop Service Centre located at the Business and Intellectual Property Authority Head Office in Windhoek and at NIPDB offices.
