Citizens of Kenya and South Africa from January 2023 will be eligible to enter each other territory without being required to apply for a visa at first, following the new mutual-visa-free system.
The presidents of both countries have stressed that following the new agreement, citizens of Kenya and South Africa will be permitted to travel to each other countries visa-free for a period of more than 90 days in a calendar day, VisaGuide.World reports.
Up to this point, citizens of South Africa were allowed to travel visa-free to Kenya, while the latter’s citizens were charged and urged to provide proof of sufficient funds as well as return flight tickets, a report provided by Al Jazeera notes.
The President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa as well as the President of Kenya William Ruto while welcoming the decision, addressed the barriers that limit trade between these two countries.
“I express Kenya’s appreciation for the progress we’ve made in the long-awaited visa-free regime between Kenya and South Africa,” Ruto pointed out in this regard.
President Ruto said that the visa requirement was a challenge for many years, adding that under the new dispensation, the country is building a greater relationship.
“People who abuse the system…they don’t deserve to be in South Africa, and they don’t deserve to be in Kenya. This agreement will be implemented to ensure the bad elements that try to infiltrate our countries are dealt with firmly and decisively,” the President said.
Until January next year, however, Kenyans will still need transit visas if heading to neighbouring countries via South Africa by land. Mr Ramaphosa described the new ties as based on a “wonderful foundation that exists” between Nairobi and Pretoria.
“Our officials will speed up the processes to implement it. This dispensation will be available to Kenyans over a 90-day period in a given year, meaning that, yes, you can use the 90 days, ten days, 20 days or whatever, Kenyans will have a full 90 days to be able to visit South Africa and we would be able to review this and get reports from our ministers within a year and see how this is functioning,” he said.
Such a decision means that Kenyans must ensure their stay in South Africa should not exceed 90 days.
The president added that the country is going to monitor closely the situation while announcing that it must make sure that no one takes advantage of the agreement.
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