Namibia E-Visa Payment Issues

[Arctic97]

Maybe some of you guys can shed a little light to help me get over a hurdle with this Namibian E-Visa. I like to think I am pretty good at figuring out how to use my laptop to make trip planning easy from my living room. My wife and I got on the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security website and had no big issues with the application, other than a timeout as I gathered passport photos and whatnot which caused me to have to start over. We received an email back with approval notices and a link to make the payment for the actual E-Visa. This is where my trouble is. I have made it to the payment portal, after verifying that I am human, a half dozen times over the last 2 weeks (I attempt it every couple of days), but when I put in my payment info and hit the pay button and the wheel turns around and around for a bit it always comes back with - "Code: 999 emv auth failed . contact support team. Reason Code 999 Click 'Try Again' to go back and give it another try."

I have tried different browsers and gone into my security settings and added the site to exceptions, just anything I can think of to push through the payment process. All with no luck. I have written 3 separate emails to their support email address and have yet to get a response (not really expecting one).

I recently paid for Airlink tickets in RSA and up to Namibia and I have paid lodging in RSA - all online, with no issues. So if anyone has had similar payment issues with their Namibian E-Visa I would love to hear about it. Thanks in advance.

 

[dchum]

I didn’t see if you said you tried a different card?

Are you using the same debit or credit card everytime? Try a different one if you haven’t…

Might sound simple but who knows

Here is what the all mighty google told me

“An "EMV auth failed" with
code 999 indicates a general authentication failure, which typically means the credentials provided were invalid or the user does not have permission for the action requested”

For the cardholder encountering this error, the recommended action is to:

• Ensure all card information (number, expiration date, CVV) was entered correctly.
• Try a different payment method.

So… ^^^* try a different card

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

I too had problems with the online payment systems, about a year ago. It was DPO, which I had never heard of. I sent several notes to the DPO help line, not much help. Somehow I finally got it to work. I can't remember exactly what it was, but I think there was one cell I didn't check or enter something and that was the problem. The system doesn't highlight what you are missing. It might have been a date and they used a different format. Keep trying! I used a Visa card.

 

[Doug3006]

This admittedly long story is to say that it probably doesn’t matter!

My experience is almost a year old, so take it for what it’s worth. April ‘25 was also the first month of the eVisa process, which might have had something to do with the shambolic customs clearance process!

I had Gracy Travel enter my Visa info and they paid for it using my card. Upon arrival, I entered the customs area and it was bedlam! No clear signage, so everyone just got in any line and hoped for the best. An hour later, as I neared the customs booths, I overheard an officer tell someone that they had to complete a manual Visa application, even though they had a pre approved eVisa!

I hopped out of line and grabbed a couple of paper forms from the kiosk. My buddy Jeff held my place in line. We hurriedly completed the forms and finally reached the customs booths. The officer looked at my paper application and eVisa, stamped my passport, and sent me on my way.

So if worse comes to worse, you can probably complete the Visa application in person and pay for it without it taking any more time than having the eVisa in hand! If it sounds like I’m complaining, I’m not…I had a wonderful time in Namibia!

 

[Throwback]

FWIW, I will be there in May this year and my outfitter told me to just do visa on arrival as it is quicker. You may want to ask your outfitter.

Also, last year I was there in May as well and had done the prepaid visa online. I paid with a visa cc no issues. I will say though upon arrival I still had to wait in line like everyone else and it was no quicker than those paying on arrival. For that reason I am pretty comfortable with what my outfitter advised. Cheers

 

[375Fox]

The last visa I applied for was Tanzania. For whatever reason I couldn’t pay with a Visa card. I tried two. Mastercard worked though. Might be worth a try.

 

[Cucuy]

Also, try a different day. I had a similar issue last year. Waited a few days and it magically worked. Methinks internet and E-commerce works a bit differently over there.

 

[HuntingHard]

Went to Namibia June 2025 for leopard & dik-dik. Line at Windhoek airport was longer and slower for E-Visa which I had. Next time, VISA on arrival for me

 

[Arctic97]

I didn’t see if you said you tried a different card?

Are you using the same debit or credit card everytime? Try a different one if you haven’t…

Might sound simple but who knows

Here is what the all mighty google told me

“An "EMV auth failed" with
code 999 indicates a general authentication failure, which typically means the credentials provided were invalid or the user does not have permission for the action requested”

For the cardholder encountering this error, the recommended action is to:

• Ensure all card information (number, expiration date, CVV) was entered correctly.
• Try a different payment method.

So… ^^^* try a different card

Have tried 4 different cards, 3 different browsers, and 2 different computers.

 

[Arctic97]

I too had problems with the online payment systems, about a year ago. It was DPO, which I had never heard of. I sent several notes to the DPO help line, not much help. Somehow I finally got it to work. I can't remember exactly what it was, but I think there was one cell I didn't check or enter something and that was the problem. The system doesn't highlight what you are missing. It might have been a date and they used a different format. Keep trying! I used a Visa card.

Thanks, Yeah I noticed the blocks don't highlight missing info. Have tried 4 different cards, 3 different browsers, and 2 different computers. I will probably try to call them if I fail one more time. And yes, most of the world uses day/month/year format. How we here in USA decided on Month/Day/Year I will never understand. Probably just to be different.

 

[Arctic97]

The last visa I applied for was Tanzania. For whatever reason I couldn’t pay with a Visa card. I tried two. Mastercard worked though. Might be worth a try.

Thanks, Have tried 4 different cards 2 Visa, 2 MC's, on a half a dozen different days and times - all during their operating hours.

 

[Arctic97]

Also, try a different day. I had a similar issue last year. Waited a few days and it magically worked. Methinks internet and E-commerce works a bit differently over there.

Thanks, Have tried on a half a dozen different days and times - all during their operating hours. No doubt about different. I miss the old days of no visa there already!

 

[Arctic97]

FWIW, I will be there in May this year and my outfitter told me to just do visa on arrival as it is quicker. You may want to ask your outfitter.

Also, last year I was there in May as well and had done the prepaid visa online. I paid with a visa cc no issues. I will say though upon arrival I still had to wait in line like everyone else and it was no quicker than those paying on arrival. For that reason I am pretty comfortable with what my outfitter advised. Cheers

Thanks, that may be how we will roll this time. No outfitter this trip to ask, just 7 weeks of over landing and visiting friends there and in Bots. Going earlier than I have ever been also.

 

[Arctic97]

This admittedly long story is to say that it probably doesn’t matter!

My experience is almost a year old, so take it for what it’s worth. April ‘25 was also the first month of the eVisa process, which might have had something to do with the shambolic customs clearance process!

I had Gracy Travel enter my Visa info and they paid for it using my card. Upon arrival, I entered the customs area and it was bedlam! No clear signage, so everyone just got in any line and hoped for the best. An hour later, as I neared the customs booths, I overheard an officer tell someone that they had to complete a manual Visa application, even though they had a pre approved eVisa!

I hopped out of line and grabbed a couple of paper forms from the kiosk. My buddy Jeff held my place in line. We hurriedly completed the forms and finally reached the customs booths. The officer looked at my paper application and eVisa, stamped my passport, and sent me on my way.

So if worse comes to worse, you can probably complete the Visa application in person and pay for it without it taking any more time than having the eVisa in hand! If it sounds like I’m complaining, I’m not…I had a wonderful time in Namibia!

Thanks, yes, it has always been kind of a dash to be near the front of one of the lines there in WDH to get cleared. I am not really worried about it, but great to hear from members here that with or without the eVisa, it is still about the same as it has always been. lol So I will try once more tomorrow morning and then just forget about it if no joy.

 

[Hegmast]

This admittedly long story is to say that it probably doesn’t matter!

My experience is almost a year old, so take it for what it’s worth. April ‘25 was also the first month of the eVisa process, which might have had something to do with the shambolic customs clearance process!

I had Gracy Travel enter my Visa info and they paid for it using my card. Upon arrival, I entered the customs area and it was bedlam! No clear signage, so everyone just got in any line and hoped for the best. An hour later, as I neared the customs booths, I overheard an officer tell someone that they had to complete a manual Visa application, even though they had a pre approved eVisa!

I hopped out of line and grabbed a couple of paper forms from the kiosk. My buddy Jeff held my place in line. We hurriedly completed the forms and finally reached the customs booths. The officer looked at my paper application and eVisa, stamped my passport, and sent me on my way.

So if worse comes to worse, you can probably complete the Visa application in person and pay for it without it taking any more time than having the eVisa in hand! If it sounds like I’m complaining, I’m not…I had a wonderful time in Namibia!

While airport bureaucracy can be a headache, I always appreciate when the digital side of travel remains effortless, much like the reliable and seamless payment processing in Australia that ensures transactions are handled with speed, security, and total transparency.

That's a relief to hear because I actually came to this forum specifically because I'm dealin w that exact same code 999 authorization error while trying to pay for my own application. I wanted to ask, did you have to pay the visa fee again in cash at the booth when they made you fill out those manual paper forms, or did they honor the card payment that Gracy Travel originally processed for you? I am asking because if I have to pay twice just to get through customs. Thanks

 

[Arctic97]

I apologize for not reporting back sooner. We were away on other travels. After countless attempts over a 4 week period, I succeeded in getting the payment to go through. I am not sure if it is just the server on their end, their poor internet bandwidth, or a combination of multiple things working against us, but in the end, I stumbled across the finish line and received the E-Visa. All I can tell you is to never give up - never surrender!

We are off to RSA in 2 weeks for a little bit of hunting in Zululand with Mpeti Safaris. Then up to Namibia/Botswana for 6 weeks of overlanding and visiting friends - possibly a day or 2 of hunting thrown in along the way. I do not plan to have a lot of electronics along, but I will try to remember to report back here as to how the E-Visa actually worked upon entry in Namibia.

Good luck to us all in our travels

 

[Doug3006]

That's a relief to hear because I actually came to this forum specifically because I'm dealin w that exact same code 999 authorization error while trying to pay for my own application. I wanted to ask, did you have to pay the visa fee again in cash at the booth when they made you fill out those manual paper forms, or did they honor the card payment that Gracy Travel originally processed for you? I am asking because if I have to pay twice just to get through customs. Thanks

No, I didn’t have to pay again.