Health
Namibia is dry, sunny and often hot; carry more water than usual, especially on self-drive routes and desert/coastal trips. Tap water is generally drinkable where marked safe, but treat stagnant/untreated water and use normal food hygiene. Malaria risk is mainly northern/northeastern regions and rainy season; Windhoek has no malaria transmission per CDC. Use insect precautions for mosquitoes/ticks, avoid freshwater swimming in risk areas, protect from sun/heat, and note remote areas may be far from advanced care.
Vaccinations
Consult a doctor or travel clinic at least 4–6 weeks before travel. Be up to date on routine vaccines such as MMR, polio, tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis, influenza, varicella, shingles where applicable, and COVID-19. CDC recommends hepatitis A and B for unvaccinated travelers, typhoid for most travelers, and discussing rabies risk for animal/wildlife or remote exposure; cholera vaccine may be considered only for active-transmission areas. Yellow fever vaccine is not recommended for Namibia itself, but a certificate is required for travelers age 9 months+ arriving from, or transiting over 12 hours in, yellow-fever-risk countries.
eSIM / connectivity
Connectivity is good in Windhoek, main towns and tourist corridors, but remote desert, park and gravel-road areas can have gaps. MTC is the largest mobile network; Telecom Namibia/tn mobile is the other main mobile operator, with Paratus expanding services. International travel eSIMs for Namibia are commonly available and usually roam on local networks, but local prepaid eSIM support for visitors is less predictable than registered physical SIMs. Travelers can buy prepaid SIMs/data bundles from carrier shops or airport/town outlets; check coverage for Etosha, Kunene, Zambezi and self-drive routes.
Health/vaccine info is reference only, not medical advice — consult a doctor or travel clinic; defer to CDC/WHO and official sources (as of 2026-06-20).