South Sudan Accepts To Waive Visa Fees For Ugandans

The government of South Sudan has announced that it is waiving visa fees for Ugandans entering the country.

This is in reciprocation of Uganda’s decision to waive visa fees for South Sudanese entering Uganda which took effect on October 1.

Although the Government of Uganda had given South Sudan up to 31st of October, a press statement by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of South Sudan dated 1st October indicates that the country has decided that the waiver takes effect from Monday 4th October.

According to the release, South Sudan’s Government has directed the Ministry of Interior through its directorate of Nationality Passports and Immigration to waive visa entry requirements for Ugandan citizens holding valid passports issued by the Government of the republic of Uganda with effect from Monday 4th October.

“ All entry and exit points including our missions and embassies abroad are directed to comply with this directive. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International cooperation of the Republic of South Sudan hail this move as a significant booster to the already existing stronger bilateral relations with the Republic of Uganda” the press release reads.

According to the Minister of East African Community Affairs Rebecca Kadaga, indeed they waived off visa fees for South Sudan and did expect them to reciprocate. She however says she will confirm this on Monday.

Kadaga had last week communicated to the Government of South Sudan on waiving the visas.

The decision of the two country to waive visa fees follows the Summit of the East African Community Heads of State in Nairobi in February 2021, when President Salva Kiir appealed to the neighboring countries for a visa waiver, particularly between South Sudan, Kenya, and Uganda.

The countries were charging $50 for a single entry visa for ordinary citizens. All the East African Communities countries do not citizens of member countries charge visa fees.

-URN