The mineral export permit in Namibia: who needs one, how the Mining Commissioner issues it, royalties and valuation, the controlled and restricted minerals, the paperwork for salt, dimension stone, gemstones and specimens, and how to get a parcel out legally
Every mineral leaving Namibia, from a container of salt to a courier parcel of tourmaline, needs an export permit from the Mining Commissioner under the Minerals Act, with royalties accounted for and a value declared. The Act, who may apply, the permit step by step, royalty rates by mineral class, valuation and why under-declaration is the trade’s biggest risk, the controlled minerals outside the system and the critical minerals under export restriction, the particular paperwork for salt, dimension stone, gem rough and specimens, and the mistakes that get parcels seized.
Under the Minerals (Prospecting and Mining) Act 33 of 1992, minerals belong to the state until lawfully mined, and no mineral may be exported without a permit from the Mining Commissioner at the Ministry of Industrialisation, Mines and Trade. The permit names the mineral, the quantity, the declared value, the exporter and the consignee, and is issued only when the royalty due on the sale has been accounted for.
The rule applies to a 20,000-tonne salt contract and to a 2-kilogram parcel of aquamarine crystals in a courier bag. Diamonds and uranium are controlled minerals under their own laws and outside this route; unprocessed lithium ore, cobalt, graphite, manganese and rare earth elements are under export restriction to encourage local processing.
Our reading: the permit is routine for exporters who hold rights or buy from rights holders and declare honestly. The trade's biggest risk is under-declared values, which expose the buyer to penalties abroad and the seller to prosecution at home.
Who may apply
| Applicant | Basis | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Holder of a mining licence or mining claim | Produced the mineral under its own right | Licence or claim number; production records |
| Registered mineral dealer | Bought from rights holders for resale | Dealer registration; purchase records naming the claim or licence of origin |
| Holder of an exclusive prospecting licence | Samples for analysis or bulk sampling | Licence; sample permit conditions |
| Processor or manufacturer | Processed mineral bought from rights holders (cut stone, polished slabs, refined salt) | Supplier records; processing records |
| Exporter acting for a rights holder | Agency or subcontract | Written agreement; the rights holder's documents |
A seller who cannot name the claim or licence the mineral came from cannot lawfully export it, and a buyer who exports it for them is exporting stolen state property.
The permit, step by step
- Register as an exporter with NamRA (customs code) and, where applicable, as a mineral dealer with the Ministry.
- Assemble the consignment file: the rights or purchase records, a description of the minerals by type and quantity, the buyer's details, the commercial invoice and, for higher-value parcels, an independent valuation.
- Lodge the royalty return for the consignment with the Ministry, calculated on the sale value at the rate for the mineral class, and pay the royalty.
- Apply for the export permit to the Mining Commissioner, with the file and the royalty receipt; the Ministry may inspect or sample.
- Obtain the certificate of origin from the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry if the buyer's market needs one, and any destination requirements.
- Export with the permit, invoice, packing list and declaration: by container from Walvis Bay through a clearing agent, or by courier or hand-carry through the airport with the permit presented to customs.
Royalties and valuation
The Act sets royalty rates by mineral class on the market value of the minerals: higher rates for precious stones and precious metals, lower for base and rare metals, industrial minerals, dimension stone and semi-precious stones, with the Minister able to set rates within ranges. The royalty is due on sale and the export permit is the point at which it is checked. The declared value on the permit, the invoice and the royalty return must agree, and for anything of significance an independent valuation supports it.
| Mineral class (examples) | Royalty basis | Valuation practice |
|---|---|---|
| Precious stones (other than diamonds): emerald, ruby, sapphire | Highest band on market value | Independent gemmological valuation |
| Semi-precious stones: tourmaline, aquamarine, topaz, quartz, amethyst, garnet | Lower band on market value | Dealer's grading and invoice; independent valuation for larger parcels |
| Mineral specimens | As the mineral species; in practice valued by the piece | Dealer valuation; show prices as reference |
| Dimension stone: marble, granite blocks | Industrial mineral band on the sale value | Contract price per cubic metre |
| Salt | Industrial mineral band | Contract price per tonne |
| Base and rare metals and their ores | Base and rare metals band | Assay and reference prices |
Under-declaration is the trade's commonest offence and its biggest risk. A parcel invoiced at a fraction of its value to save royalty exposes the foreign buyer to customs penalties and seizure on import, and the Namibian seller to prosecution and loss of the right to export. Honest buyers increasingly refuse under-declared parcels for that reason; a permit, an invoice and a valuation that agree are worth paying slightly more for, as our buyer's guide explains to them.
Minerals outside or restricted within the system
- Diamonds are governed by the Diamond Act and the Kimberley Process; export is through the licensed channels only, with Kimberley Process certificates. Not through the mineral export permit route.
- Uranium and other radioactive minerals are controlled under the Atomic Energy and Radiation Protection Act and exported by licensed mines under international safeguards.
- Critical minerals under export restriction. Since June 2023 Namibia has prohibited the export of unprocessed lithium ore, cobalt, manganese, graphite and rare earth elements except in small quantities with the Minister's specific approval, to encourage local processing. A small-scale miner with lithium-bearing pegmatite sells to a local processor or seeks the approval; ask the Ministry before you dig, and ask us to check the current restriction list for your mineral.
- Meteorites and fossils fall under heritage legislation, not the Minerals Act, and are generally not exportable.
The paperwork, by product
| Product | Typical consignment | Permit particulars | Other documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salt | Bulk or bagged, by container, rail or truck, hundreds to thousands of tonnes | Permit per shipment or for a contract period, from the producer's mining licence | SADC or other certificate of origin; food-grade certification (NSI) for edible salt; buyer's import permit |
| Marble and granite blocks | Breakbulk or flat-rack containers, tens of cubic metres | Permit per shipment, from the quarry's mining licence; quality class and volume | Certificate of origin; packing list by block number; buyer's inspection report |
| Gem rough | Parcels by the kilogram, by insured courier | Permit naming species, weight, value and buyer; royalty on declared value | Valuation; certificate of origin; the buyer's import declaration |
| Mineral specimens | Pieces by courier or hand-carried to shows | Permit listing pieces or lots with values | Valuation; show carnet or temporary export arrangements where unsold pieces return |
| Lapidary rough (rose quartz, sodalite, agate) | Drums or crates by sea | Permit per shipment by weight and value | Certificate of origin |
| Ores and concentrates from small producers | Bagged, by container | Permit with assay; check restriction list first | Assay certificate; buyer's import licence |
Where parcels get seized
- No permit. Customs at the airport or Walvis Bay seize the goods; the exporter may be prosecuted.
- Permit and invoice disagree on species, weight or value.
- Restricted mineral declared as something else.
- Specimens hand-carried to a show without a permit, discovered on departure.
- A dealer's stock without purchase records naming the claims.
Questions we are asked
Can a tourist take a few stones home? Small quantities bought at retail from registered dealers travel with the dealer's receipt; commercial quantities and anything of value need a permit. When in doubt, ask the Ministry before the flight.
Can I get one permit for a year's exports? Producers under mining licences can arrange permits for contract periods; dealers and small exporters apply per consignment.
What if my buyer wants a lower invoice? Decline. A buyer who asks for it is asking you to commit an offence and will not protect you when it is discovered.
Our guides to exporting salt and exporting gemstones and small-scale minerals cover the sectors; the minerals and gemstones page and salt page on the export desk show the route and the price.
What we do, and what it costs
Chrimson's export desk at chrimsoncc.com/export handles mineral export documentation: royalty returns, valuation coordination, the export permit application to the Mining Commissioner, certificates of origin and the export declaration, as the Minerals and Salt Export Pack at N$5,500. The Export Readiness Assessment is N$2,500 and is credited against the next export service. Export Registration for an existing business (customs code, chamber membership, exporter documents) is N$8,500; the Export Starter Package for a business that does not exist yet is N$12,500 and includes the Private Company. Commodity packs with the sector permits are N$5,500 to N$8,500. Shipment Documents are N$5,500 per consignment, or N$9,500 a month for the retainer that runs every shipment. Government registration and permit fees are included in our prices; laboratories, certifiers, forwarders and clearing agents bill you directly and we tell you what to expect before you commit. International buyers: send an enquiry and we source from verified suppliers at 4% of the FOB value.
Sources
- Minerals (Prospecting and Mining) Act 33 of 1992 (NamibLII)
- Ministry of Industrialisation, Mines and Trade: Mining Commissioner
- Kimberley Process (diamonds, excluded from this route)
- Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry: certificates of origin
- Chrimson: exporting gemstones and small-scale minerals from Namibia
- Chrimson export desk: minerals
Sources accessed 9 November 2026. Tariffs, quotas and documentary rules change: confirm with the authority named before you ship.
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