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No Visa Needed: Rwanda Removes Visa Restrictions For All Africans
Africa

No Visa Needed: Rwanda Removes Visa Restrictions For All Africans

by  Delali Adogla-Bessa 2 min read
  • Rwanda announced Thursday that it will allow Africans to travel visa-free to the country
  • Rwanda President Paul Kagame said this move would help boost tourism among Africans
  • Rwanda joins Gambia, Benin and Seychelles as countries that have waived visas to African nationals

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Rwanda has announced that it will allow all Africans to travel visa-free to the country.

Rwanda President Paul Kagame made the announcement saying Africa could become a unified tourism destination.

Rwanda Removes Visa Restrictions All Africans
The president of Ghana, Akufo-Addo, and the president of Rwanda, Paul Kagame (R). Source: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

The move is envisioned to boost the free movement of people and trade in a manner comparable to Europe’s Schengen zone.

"Africans are the future of global tourism as our middle class continues to grow at a fast pace in the decades to come,” Kagame said.

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Rwanda will become the fourth African country to remove travel restrictions for Africans.

Gambia, Benin and Seychelles are the other African countries that have waived such restrictions.

Kenya also recently announced plans to lift visa restrictions to fellow African countries.

Visa waiver for South Africa

The governments of Ghana and South Africa signed a visa waiver agreement.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the waiver agreement will take effect from November 1, 2023.

The agreement will allow Ghanaians to stay in South Africa for up to 90 days without a visa.

Visa applications online

The South African government has allowed Ghanaians to apply for its visas online.

South African High Commission said Ghanaians could visit the portal of the Department of Home Affairs of the Republic of South Africa

The High Commission said requirements such as passport details, a letter of invitation, proof of accommodation and a bank statement are still in force and will be verified upon arrival.

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UK to increase immigration fees

The UK has increased immigration and nationality fees.

YEN.com.gh reported that there will be an up to 35% increase in the cost of UK visas for Ghanaians and other prospective immigrants.

Ghanaians applying for student visas outside the UK will pay £127 more after the increase to £490.

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Source: YEN.com.gh

Authors:
Delali Adogla-Bessa avatar

Delali Adogla-Bessa (Current Affairs Editor) Delali Adogla-Bessa is a Current Affairs Editor with YEN.com.gh. Delali previously worked as a freelance journalist in Ghana and has over seven years of experience in media, primarily with Citi FM, Equal Times, Ubuntu Times. Delali also volunteers with the Ghana Institute of Language Literacy and Bible Translation, where he documents efforts to preserve local languages. He graduated from the University of Ghana in 2014 with a BA in Information Studies. Email: delali.adogla-bessa@yen.com.gh.

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