· From January 1, 2023, Kenyans will be eligible for visa-free entry to South Africa for a maximum of 90 days annually. The decision emerged after the meeting between President William Ruto and South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa at Statehouse Nairobi.
From January 1, 2023, Kenyans will be eligible for visa-free entry to South Africa for a maximum of 90 days annually. The decision emerged after the meeting between President William Ruto and South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa at Statehouse Nairobi. The two leaders also have agreed on a return policy in the event of a breach of law.
The proposal for a visa-free regime between Kenya and South Africa had been pending for a long time. Visa requirements for Kenyans visiting South Africa had remained tough for some time. Though South Africans were allowed visa-free into Kenya, Kenyans had to pay Sh5,350 for a South African Visa. Also, it took minimum of five days to process the visa applications and the Kenyan applicants had to submit proof of sufficient funds and return flight ticket details.
The former President Uhuru Kenyatta, in 2016 stated that the two countries should review the visa regime and do away with the restrictive visa requirements.
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President Ramaphosa and Uhuru began the discussions to ease visa restrictions for Kenyans visiting South Africa, last year. South Africa put forward a condition that to allow visa-free entry, Kenya should take back thousands of its citizens who have entered South Africa illegally.
