THE home affairs ministry on Friday announced that Namibians and permanent residence permit holders will no longer have to complete arrival or departure forms when they do cross-border traveling.

The ministry's spokesperson, Sakeus Kadhikwa, said this change has already been published in the Government Gazette, but actual implementation will be on Monday next week (27 January).

Kadhikwa noted that Namibians and permanent residence permit holders will only be required to complete arrival or departure forms if the electronic border management system is off when they enter into or depart from Namibia.

"The change comes as a result of recent amendments to the regulations made under the two acts of parliament that regulate entry into and departure from Namibia, namely the Immigration Control Act, 1993, and the Departure from Namibia Regulation Act, 1955. We trust that this will make administration at the ports of entry and departure smoother," Kadhikwa added.