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Namibia: Passport issuance procedures, including requirements and documents needed to obtain a passport; reports of whether the Ministry of Home Affairs experienced operational delays in 2010

Requirements to obtain a passport

The website for the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration (MHAI) in Namibia lists the following requirements to obtain a passport:

• Payment for Passport
• Completed Application Form
• Copy of Namibian Birth Certificate
• Copy of Namibian Citizenship Certificate (Only people born outside Namibia)
• Copy of ID
• Copy of Marriage Certificate (Married women only)
• Copy of Proof for ID Registration (Anyone 16 years and older but awaiting for an ID)
• Parents[']/Guardian['] [ID] or [BC] (Minors under 16 years only)
• 1 x Passport Photo
• Signature (13 years and older)
• Ordinary Passport N$160-00 [1 Namibian dollar = 0.14 Canadian dollar (XE.com 18 Apr. 2011)], Maxi Passport N$360-00, Emergency Travel Document N$120-00. (Namibia n.d.)

Operational delays at the Ministry of Home Affairs

A December 2010 article in the Namibian, an independent daily newspaper (World-Newspapers.com n.d.), indicates that the MHAI was unable to keep up with passport applications, in part because, from October, it started receiving around 5,000 applications per month "in the Khomas Region alone" (The Namibian 22 Dec. 2010). Somewhat similarly, a January 2009 article in the New Era, a government-owned national news publication (New Era n.d.), reports that the demand for passports was "increasingly creating unnecessary pressure" on the Ministry's "production system and facilities" (New Era 28 Jan. 2009). To resolve the issue, the MHAI considered producing new passports only if necessary and if applicants could provide supporting documents showing that they intend to travel (ibid.). Further information on whether the government stopped producing new passports could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

Passport security features

In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a representative of the Document Integrity Unit at Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) described the security features of the Namibian passport as follows:

[F]ine line true colour printing, intaglio printing, latent image, optically variable ink, microprinting, anti-copy patterns, see-through register patterns, letterpress numbering, mechanically perforated numbering, invisible ultraviolet features, integrated photo, photo security (continuous line pattern and wet seal). (Canada 15 Apr. 2011)

According to the CBSA representative, the security features were introduced in 2001 (ibid.). The Namibia Reciprocity Schedule on the United States (US) Bureau of Consular Affairs website indicates that

The passport is green in color with the Namibian Coat of Arms appearing on the front, and the photo page is laminated. All particulars of the passport holder are written in black ink. (US n.d.)

Sample copies of the Namibian passport were provided by CBSA and are attached to this Response.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Canada. 15 April 2011. Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). Document Integrity Unit. Correspondence with a representative.

Namibia. N.d. Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration (MHAI)."Application for a Passport." <http://209.88.21.36/opencms/opencms/grnnet/MHAI/services/Passports.html> [Accessed 18 Apr. 2011]

The Namibian. 22 December 2010. "Home Affairs Swamped with Permit, Passport Applications." <&lt;http://www.namibian.com.na/index.php?id=28&tx_ttnews%5btt_news%5d=76271&no_cache=1> [Accessed 4 Apr. 2011]

New Era [Windhoek]. 28 January 2009. "Passport Halt Temporary Says Home Affairs." <&lt;http://www.newera.com.na/article.php?title=Passport_Halt_Temporary_Says_Home_Affairs&articleid=24478> [Accessed 15 Apr. 2011]

_____. N.d. "About Us." <http://www.newera.com.na/aboutus.php> [Accessed 19 Apr. 2011]

United States. N.d. Department of State. "Namibia Reciprocity Schedule." <http://travel.state.gov/visa/fees/fees_4881.html?cid=3631#> [Accessed 26 Apr. 2011]

World-Newspapers.com. N.d. "Namibian Newspapers and News Sites." <http://www.world-newspapers.com/namibia.html> [Accessed 19 Apr. 2011]

XE.com. 18 April 2011. "Currency Conversion Results." <&lt;http://www.xe.com/ucc/convert/?Amount=160.00&From=NAD&To=CAD> [Accessed 18 Apr. 2011]

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Attempts to contact representatives at the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration in Windhoek, Namibia, and at Namibia's Office of the Ombudsman were unsuccessful.

Internet sites, including: Africa Confidential [London]; AfricaFiles; Afrik.com; Agence France-Presse; AllAfrica.com; Amnesty International; Corruption Tracker [Windhoek]; Factiva; Human Rights Watch; Namibia Economist [Windhoek]; Namibia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs; United Nations (UN) Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN), UN Refworld; United States Department of State.

Attachments

Namibia. N.d.a. Republic of Namibia Passport. Sample passport cover sent to the Research Directorate by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), Document Integrity Unit on 15 April 2011. 1 page.

_____. N.d.b. "Republic of Namibia Ordinary Passport." Sample passport photo page sent to the Research Directorate by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), Document Integrity Unit on 15 April 2011. 1 page.

_____. N.d.c. "Specimen: Republic of Namibia Ordinary Passport." Sample passport photo page sent to the Research Directorate by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), Document Integrity Unit on 15 April 2011. 1 page.

Topics: Passports,