DRC Uganda Remove Visa Fees for Each-Other's Citizens

Congelese passport (Photo by Udpsonline)

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda have jointly announced visa fee waivers for the citizens of each other. The visa facilitation is part of agreements that DRC, Uganda, Kenya, South Sudan, and Burundi are implementing to facilitate the free movement of goods and people within the borders of the East African Community (EAC).

According to local media, Congolese citizens will no longer be required to pay visa fees, which previously ranged from $50 to $100 depending on their length of stay when traveling to Uganda, VisaGuide.World reports.

In this regard, the Congo’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the hope that this decision will promote trade and strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries. With a population of 98 million, the DRC presents a profitable market for its new partners.

At the same time, the country imports various products from East African Community (EAC) member states, and trade among EAC members is said to reach $10.9 billion in 2022.

On the other hand, based on Article 7 of the Common Market Protocol, the decision to apply for visa fee exemptions rests with individual countries. The document clarifies that “the guarantee of free movement of persons is not, however, an absolute right, as it is subject to restrictions imposed by the host partner state for reasons of public policy, public security or public health”.

As of October 2023, the Congolese passport is ranked 178th worldwide, according to the VisaGuide Passport Index. This ranking allows Congolese citizens to enjoy visa-free travel to 20 countries globally. For entry into the remaining countries, Congolese passport holders must go through the visa application process in advance.

At the beginning of September 2023, Kenya announced that its citizens are no longer obligated to obtain visas before traveling to the DRC. The decision came as a result of DRC’s choice to remove visa restrictions for Kenyan visitors.

This policy change was implemented on September 1, 2023, in line with Kenya’s decision to waive visa requirements for Congolese citizens traveling to Kenya. In addition, the decision to eliminate visa requirements for Kenyan travelers bound for the DRC was approved under the directives of the Kenyan President.

Furthermore, the DRC has reclassified Kenya, shifting it from Category 2 to Category 1 concerning visa requirements. This change aligns with the East African Community regulations governing the free movement of people between its member states.

In August of this year, Indonesia extended visa-free access to its citizens, becoming the third country to do so, with two other countries also having received a similar privilege at the beginning of the same month.