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Crossing the Chobe River between Namibia and Botswana
Ngoma Bridge Border Post: Namibia to Botswana Crossing Guide: History & Culture
Updated 13 October 2026
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Countries | Namibia (Zambezi Region) and Botswana (Chobe District), across the Chobe River |
| Names | Ngoma Bridge border post, Ngoma-Kasane border. Botswana’s immigration list calls it the Ngoma Border Post. Not to be confused with Kazungula (Botswana to Zambia) or Mohembo (Botswana to Namibia, further west). |
| Normal hours | 07:00 to 18:00 on the Botswana side (Botswana Department of Immigration and Citizenship, April 2025). A Namibian tourism page lists the same hours for the Namibian side. Checked 13 October 2026. |
| Open 24 hours? | No. Only the Chobe National Park transit road to Ngoma Gate opens round the clock, since 1 April 2025. |
| Nearest towns | Kasane, Botswana, 59 km. Katima Mulilo, Namibia, 70 km (road distances, OpenStreetMap routing, checked 13 October 2026) |
| Traffic | Private vehicles and freight |
| Last checked | 13 October 2026 |
Short answer: no, Ngoma is not a 24-hour crossing. Plan to arrive well before 18:00.
The Ngoma Bridge crosses the Chobe River between Namibia and Botswana. On the Namibian side, Ngoma is a settlement in the Zambezi Region, 70 km south-east of the regional capital, Katima Mulilo (Wikipedia). The Wikimedia Commons geotag for the border post photo is about 17.914° S, 24.712° E; the bridge itself is about 1 km away.
On the Botswana side the road runs through the northern edge of Chobe National Park to Kasane and Kazungula. In February 2025 Botswana announced that the transit route between Sedudu Gate near Kasane and Ngoma Gate would open 24 hours a day from 1 April 2025, with increased patrols (ATTA, 27 February 2025). That announcement is about the park road. Botswana’s immigration list, updated in April 2025, still shows the Ngoma border post at 07:00 to 18:00.
Road distances from the post using the OpenStreetMap route planner (OSRM, checked 13 October 2026):
Driving times are without queues at the border.
| Period | Namibia side | Botswana side | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal, every day | 07:00 to 18:00 | 07:00 to 18:00 | Botswana side: Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Botswana Ports of Entry, updated April 2025. Namibia side: Namibia Wetlands Route (undated tourism page) | 13 October 2026 |
| Chobe transit road (Sedudu Gate to Ngoma Gate) | n/a | 24 hours since 1 April 2025 | ATTA, 27 February 2025 | 13 October 2026 |
The immigration list is the official Botswana one and says its ports operate Sunday to Saturday. The Namibian side’s hours come from a tourism page, so confirm them with Namibia’s Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security before you travel.
Check before you travel. Festive-season or special hours are announced by the two immigration departments.
No official waiting times are published for Ngoma. The post closes at 18:00, so an early start leaves the most margin.
| Document | Who needs it | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Passport | Everyone. Both Namibia and Botswana ask for at least 6 months’ validity. Namibians may enter Botswana with an ID card. | Wikipedia: Visa policy of Namibia, Visa policy of Botswana |
| Visa for Namibia | Citizens of Botswana, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe are visa-exempt. Nationals of 33 listed countries, including the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France and the Netherlands, have needed a visa since 1 April 2025. They can apply for a visa on arrival at Ngoma for N$1,600. | Namibian government notice, April 2025. Check the Ministry’s current list before you travel. |
| Visa for Botswana | Citizens of Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Lesotho and others can enter without a visa for up to 90 days in any 365 days. Everyone else applies for an e-Visa. | Botswana e-Visa portal, Wikipedia summary |
| Vehicle registration papers | Drivers | Drive South Africa border guide (a travel guide, not an official list) |
| Rental or financed car | Carry the rental company’s or lender’s cross-border letter of authority. Ask them before you go. | Same travel guide |
| Fee | Amount | Side | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-border charge, foreign-registered car, bakkie or minibus under 25 seats | N$534 (effective 1 August 2026) | Namibia | Road Fund Administration fees and tariffs, checked 13 October 2026 |
| Cross-border charge, caravan or light trailer drawn by a car | N$340 (effective 1 August 2026) | Namibia | Same page |
| Visa on arrival, listed nationalities | N$1,600 | Namibia | Namibian government notice, April 2025 |
| National Road Safety Fund levy, foreign-registered vehicle | P40, expires at the end of each December | Botswana | BURS: Clearance of Motor Vehicles (page undated, checked 13 October 2026) |
Botswana also charges a road transport permit and third-party insurance. Guides quote different amounts, so ask at the post. Namibia’s entry fee is set by the Road Fund Administration and changes during the year, so check the latest figure on its site.
These stays in the Kasane and Kazungula area are about an hour’s drive from the border (59 to 67 km by road):
No. Botswana’s immigration list shows 07:00 to 18:00 (April 2025, checked 13 October 2026). Only the Chobe transit road is open 24 hours.
18:00, every day.
Namibia and Botswana, over the Chobe River. It is not the Kazungula crossing, which links Botswana and Zambia.
Citizens of Botswana, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe need no visa for Namibia. Nationals of 33 listed countries need a Namibian visa, available on arrival at Ngoma for N$1,600. Check your passport on the Botswana e-Visa portal too.
Yes. Namibia charges foreign-registered cars N$534 and caravans or light trailers N$340. Botswana charges a P40 National Road Safety Fund levy, plus a road transport permit and insurance.
Katima Mulilo in Namibia is 70 km away and Kasane in Botswana is 59 km away.
No official waiting times are published. Arrive early because the post closes at 18:00.
Last checked 13 October 2026.
Photo: Ngoma Bridge (2019) by Hp.Baumeler, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Chobe National Park transit road (Sedudu-Ngoma), Kasane, Savuti
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