Veterinary Import Permits for Namibia: Livestock, Meat, Dairy and Animal Products

Importing goods of animal origin into Namibia — or live animals themselves — requires a veterinary import permit issued by the **Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS)**, a division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform (MAWLR). This permit is mandatory and must be in your clearing agent's hands before the SAD 500 is submitted. Without it, clearance stops entirely regardless of how correct the rest of your documentation is.

Namibia's strict biosecurity controls reflect the country's significant livestock industry and its status as a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) free zone in most of its territory. The permit process exists to enforce origin restrictions, health certification requirements, and inspection protocols that protect Namibian livestock from disease introduction.

What Goods Require a Veterinary Import Permit

The following categories require a DVS permit for importation into Namibia. This list covers the main categories — if you are uncertain whether your specific product falls within veterinary jurisdiction, contact DVS directly before shipping.

**Live animals** - Cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, horses and other livestock - Poultry and hatching eggs - Companion animals (dogs, cats) — separate requirements apply - Bees and other insects

**Meat and meat products** - Fresh, chilled, and frozen beef, pork, lamb, poultry, game meat - Processed meat products — sausages, cured meats, canned meat - Offal and by-products

**Dairy products** - Fresh milk, UHT milk, cream - Cheese, butter, yoghurt - Milk powder and whey products

**Eggs and egg products** - Shell eggs (table eggs and hatching eggs) - Processed egg products — liquid egg, dried egg powder

**Animal feed and feed ingredients** - Hay, silage, straw - Compound animal feed - Fishmeal, blood meal, bone meal - Feed additives of animal origin

**Veterinary medicinal products and biologicals** - Vaccines for livestock use - Veterinary pharmaceuticals - Diagnostic reagents of biological origin

**Animal by-products** - Hides and skins (may also require a separate permit from MITI) - Horns, hooves, bones intended for use in products - Rendered fats for non-food use - Pet food and animal treats

**Genetic material** - Semen straws (bovine, porcine, ovine) - Embryos

Who Issues Veterinary Import Permits

All veterinary import permits for Namibia are issued by:

**Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS)** Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform Private Bag 13184, Windhoek, Namibia Telephone: +264 61 208 7235

Applications must be submitted before the goods are shipped. DVS does not issue retrospective permits for goods already in transit or at the port.

What the Permit Application Requires

DVS permit applications vary by product category but typically require:

**Completed DVS permit application form** — available from DVS offices or your clearing agent
**Description of goods** — product name, species of origin, quantity, intended use (human consumption, animal feed, veterinary use, other)
**Country of origin** — DVS maintains a list of approved and restricted countries by commodity. Goods from countries with active FMD, BSE, avian influenza, or other notifiable diseases may be refused a permit or subject to additional conditions
**Health certificate from the exporting country's competent authority** — required before goods can be shipped; the permit from DVS will specify what the health certificate must certify
**Details of the consignee** — business name, address, NamRA TIN
**Port of entry** — if entering via Walvis Bay, state this; different requirements may apply for border post entry vs port entry

Processing time varies by product and current DVS workload. Allow a minimum of **5–10 working days** for straightforward applications. Complex applications (new product types, origin countries without existing bilateral health agreements, large volumes) may take longer. There is no mechanism to expedite a DVS permit application once submitted.

What Happens at Walvis Bay With a Veterinary Import Permit

When your goods arrive, the permit number is declared on Box 44 of the SAD 500. DVS veterinary inspectors are stationed at Walvis Bay and will verify:

The permit is valid and has not expired
The shipment matches the permit description (species, quantity, product form)
The health certificate from the country of export is present and matches the permit conditions
The goods are accompanied by required laboratory test results (if the permit specifies testing requirements)

For live animals, a quarantine period at a DVS-approved facility may be required before the animals can move to their final destination. The importer is responsible for arranging and paying for quarantine facilities.

If the goods do not comply with permit conditions — wrong species, higher quantity than permitted, missing health certificate — DVS can order the goods held at the port pending regularisation, or re-exported at the importer's expense.

Country Restrictions: Why Origin Matters for Livestock Products

DVS applies country-specific import conditions based on disease status. This has practical consequences:

**Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD):** Namibia's northern communal areas are part of the FMD protection zone. Imports of meat, live animals, and other susceptible products from countries or regions with active FMD outbreaks face heightened restrictions or outright prohibition.

**Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE):** Beef products from countries with ongoing or historical BSE risk require additional certification and may be subject to import conditions specifying deboning, heat treatment, or other processing requirements.

**Avian Influenza (AI):** Poultry, poultry products, and hatching eggs from affected countries or regions may be suspended from importation when active HPAI outbreaks are notified to the OIE/WOAH.

Check the current DVS approved country list and any active import suspensions before committing to a shipment. Your clearing agent or the DVS office in Windhoek can advise on current status.

The Practical Checklist for Veterinary Imports

**Confirm your product requires a DVS permit** — check with DVS or your clearing agent before ordering
**Apply for the permit before placing the purchase order** — the permit conditions will specify what the health certificate must say, and your supplier needs this information to obtain the correct certification from their national veterinary authority
**Provide your supplier with the permit conditions** — the health certificate format and content must match DVS requirements exactly
**Include the permit number on the commercial invoice** — your clearing agent needs it for Box 44 of the SAD 500
**Ensure original documents travel with the shipment** — DVS inspectors at Walvis Bay require originals for certain categories, not scanned copies
**Factor in DVS inspection time** — inspection at the port takes 1–2 working days for routine consignments; more for complex loads or if samples need to be sent to a laboratory

What If Your Permit Has Expired

DVS permits are issued for a specific validity period, typically 30–90 days depending on the product category. If your goods arrive at Walvis Bay after the permit has expired, clearance is not possible without a new permit. DVS does not extend expired permits retrospectively.

This scenario arises most often when a shipment is delayed in transit — a vessel schedule change, a port congestion delay, or a transshipment delay can push arrival past the permit validity date. When this happens:

Contact DVS immediately to apply for a new permit
Inform your clearing agent so they do not attempt to file the SAD 500 against an expired permit
Check whether your carrier will hold the shipment at the last transshipment port while the new permit is obtained, to avoid port storage accruing at Walvis Bay while you wait

The cost and time of a permit re-application falls entirely on the importer. There is no mechanism to hold shipping lines or transshipment ports responsible for transit delays that invalidate DVS permits.

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[NamRA Advance Tariff Rulings](/resources/advance-tariff-ruling-namra)
[Customs Compliance Audits in Namibia](/resources/customs-compliance-audit-namra)
[Pharmaceutical & Cold-Chain Import Clearance](/resources/pharmaceutical-cold-chain-import-namibia)