Rwanda removes visas

Note: This article first appeared on BBC Afrique

As of January 1, 2018, there will be no need for a visa to enter Rwanda. This country of Central Africa has become over the years as a pillar of the free movement of people and goods. This decision comes after the decision taken by the Kigali authorities to exempt visas for reciprocity from nationals of the Central African Republic, Chad, Benin, Senegal, Guinea, Ghana and Indonesia. Haiti, Seychelles and Sao Tome and Principe.

Nationals of the East African Community, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Eastern and Southern African States will not require a visa to stay on Rwandan soil for a period not exceeding three months.

According to one Rwandan official, foreign residents will only have to present their resident cards at the borders, while binationals will only need their ID card.

In 2016, according to a government source, more than 10,000 work visas were issued to Africans, and at least 3 million people entered the country the same year.

The Africa Visa Openness Report 2016 ranked Rwanda 9th among the African countries that facilitate entry into their territory.

Note that the country of Paul Kagame is the first on the continent, to remove visas for travelers, according to a directive on the agenda of the African Union.