Etosha is one of Namibia's premium-fee national parks, with entry charged per person and per vehicle. The latest official fee brochure we found shows N$150 for adult foreign visitors, while several tourism sites report a 2026 increase that we could not confirm officially — here's what's documented, and what to verify before you arrive at the gate.
How much is the entrance fee?
The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism's Directorate of Wildlife and National Parks publishes a "Park Entrance & Conservation Fees" brochure (posted on the NWR website in March 2025; it prints no revision date). Etosha sits in its top fee category, together with Etosha, Skeleton Coast and Waterberg. Adults and teenagers aged 16 and over pay N$150 per day if they are non-SADC foreign visitors (N$100 entrance + N$50 conservation), N$100 if they are SADC nationals, and N$50 if they are Namibians. Children aged 8 to 15 pay N$100 (non-SADC foreign) or N$50 (SADC) and are free if Namibian; children aged 8 and under enter free for every nationality. A vehicle with up to 10 seats is charged N$50 per day. Fees are charged per 24 hours or part thereof, with a one-day minimum, and are non-refundable.
Has the fee gone up? What we could not confirm
Several independent tourism sites (each dated 2026) report that non-SADC foreign visitor fees in premium parks rose to N$280 per day (N$140 + N$140) from 1 April 2026, citing an "NWR April 2026 rate schedule." None of these is an official MEFT or NWR page, and the official brochure above, the most recent official document we found, still shows N$150. We could not confirm the increase, and the brochure has no revision date, so treat N$150 as the last officially documented figure and check the current rate with NWR or at the gate before you budget.
Gates and opening hours
Tourism sites consistently name four entry gates: Anderson's Gate (south), Von Lindequist Gate, Galton Gate and King Nehale Gate, though we could not officially verify the exact count or current status of each. Gates are reported to open at dawn and close at dusk, with exact clock times changing month to month — we found no official monthly table to confirm specific hours. Driving on park roads after closing time is not allowed; you need to be inside your camp or lodge by then.
What to bring to the gate
- Photo ID (passport or driving licence) is checked for every visitor.
- Card payment is reported to work at some gates (Anderson's, Von Lindequist), but tourism sites recommend carrying cash as a backup in case a terminal is down; there's no official online prepayment for entrance fees.
- The nearest ATMs are in Outjo (before Ombika Gate) and Tsumeb (before Von Lindequist Gate) — not inside the park.
Booking accommodation
Camps and accommodation inside the park are booked through NWR (nwr.com.na) separately from the entrance fee itself.