IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? President Filipe Nyusi of Mozambique and President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya have agreed to abolish visas for business visits between the two countries.

What does the change mean? The removal of visas is intended to facilitate business travel and strengthen economic exchange.

  • Implementation time frame: Immediate.
  • Visas/permits affected: Visitor visas.
  • Who is affected: Nationals of Mozambique and Kenya traveling between the two countries.
  • Business impact: Business travelers will not need to apply for a visa before travel, enabling them to save time and travel on short notice.

Background: The two leaders met in Maputo Thursday and announced the new mutual visa policy with the aim of easing travel and trade. They also discussed increasing the number of flights between the two countries. Since his re-election in November, Kenyatta has taken steps to liberalized visas and work permits for countries in the region.

BAL Analysis: The visa waiver is good news for Mozambican and Kenyan business travelers and is consistent with the African Union’s stated goal to move toward a visa-free Africa.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group in Mozambique. For additional information, please contact africa@bal.com.

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