• The government approved a waiver on entry visas for 28 countries for tourism and business purposes.

Tourism is one of the major drivers of the economy of most African countries, as a result, several African countries are putting a lot of effort into boosting inbound tourism. In the same vein, they are looking to attract potential external investors to the tourism industry in Africa. Recently, the Mozambican government approved a waiver on entry visas for 28 countries for tourism and business purposes and for citizens of countries with a low risk of illegal immigration.

During the weekly meeting of the Council of Ministers, the decree was approved in mid-March, as the exemption applies to visitors with ordinary passports allowing for a 30-day stay and renewable to an additional 60 days. After the weekly meeting, the official government spokesperson Deputy Justice Minister Filimao Suaze said to reporters that the measure is intended to stimulate the tourism and business environment, stating that the effort forms part of the implementation of the package of Economic Acceleration Measures (PAE) which was launched in August 2022 by President Filipe Nyusi.

In reference to the PAE, states that the government will grant “investment visas” for more extended periods for foreign citizens with investments in Mozambique, and will transform short-term tourism visas into mixed tourism and business visas.

The Mozambican government’s model is similar to the United States visa waiver program which requires travelers to register on a platform for pre-screening at least 48 hours before traveling and to pay a processing fee of MZN-650 which is equivalent to £8.50. This initiation of e-visas has seen a growth of over 30% in the number of travelers coming into the country since its launch last December. There has been an increase compared to the same period in the previous year.

Mr. Suaze listed the 28 countries including the United States, China, Japan, Russia, and the ten member states of the European Union. They are an addition to countries that have bilateral visa arrangements with Mozambique such as members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Suaze also noted that electronic visas will be initiated for countries not covered by the visa waiver.

The 28 countries listed by Mr. Suaze include Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, UK, USA.