Uganda Grants Visa-Free Entry to DR Congo Nationals

Uganda announced on Monday, Dec 18 that Congolese nationals would no longer need a visa to enter its territory, as of January 1, 2024, in the interests of regional integration and cross-border trade.

This concludes a process marred by multiple negotiations since the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) joined the East African Community (EAC) in July 2022.

As a result of this exemption, the DRC can benefit from the advantages of the region, notably the free movement of people between member states, as provided for in the EAC Common Market Protocol, Article 7(2)(d) of which requires partner states to allow citizens of other partner states to enter their territory without having to present a visa.

Related: Uganda, DR Congo in talks for visa-free movement deal

During the eighth Joint Permanent Commission held from October 11 to 15, 2023 in Kinshasa, DRC, the two parties agreed in principle to lift the visa requirement for citizens of both countries on a reciprocal basis, the Ugandan Ministry of the Interior said in a statement.

At the East African Entrepreneurship Conference and Expo organized by the Nation Media Group (NMG) in Kinshasa in November, DRC’s Information and Communication Minister Patrick Muyaya urged member states to allow DRC nationals to enter their borders because the country is also a member and wants to connect with the region.

Related: Diplomacy: DRC Citizens Granted Visa-Free Travel to Tanzania 

The two East African Community states have engaged in economic activities due to their proximity such as farming, mining, and forestry, Uganda and the DRC have shared ties even before the latter became a member of the EAC bloc in 2021.

DRC is Uganda’s top trade surplus market, with main exports including cement, palm oil, rice, sugar, baked goods, and iron materials.

Uganda now seeks to increase its trade surplus with the DRC, which earned it $241 million in 2020 and an estimated $177 million in informal trade exports, bringing the total trade earnings to $418 million, according to official trade data.

Along with this, Kampala and Kinshasa are working together to build three road projects inside the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that will facilitate the transportation of perishable goods across borders without incurring losses and provide access to profitable mining concessions in the Congo.

Related: EAC Hails Kenya and Tanzania for Lifting Visa Requirements for DRC Citizens

Several EAC member states have been opening their borders; Kenya was the last nation to announce open borders before Uganda’s waiver on the DRC.

President Willian Ruto announced last week that Kenya hopes to remove all visa requirements for African nationals by January 2024.

The member states hope to capitalize on the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which mandates open borders for African companies and entrepreneurs.

The 1.3 billion people living on the continent now have access to a single market thanks to the AfCFTA, which was formed in 2021 and is estimated to be worth $3.4 trillion.

When Somalia fully integrates into the eight-member bloc, it will be waiting for open borders as well.

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