The East African country is fourth African country to offer visa-free access for all African visitors
Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | Rwanda has become the latest African country to offer visa-free access to all African citizens according to the latest edition of the Africa Visa Openness Index jointly published on Dec.12 by the African Union and the African Development Bank Group.
A visa is an endorsement-through a certificate or stamp in a travel document-showing that a particular visitor is allowed to enter a country for a specific length of time and for specific activities.
The Africa Visa Openness Index (AVOI) measures the extent to which African countries are open to visitors from other African countries. The Index analyzes each country's visa requirements to show which countries on the continent most facilitate travel to their territory.
For each country, the Index calculates the number of African countries whose citizens must obtain a visa before travelling there, the number of countries whose citizens may obtain a visa upon arrival, and the number of countries whose citizens can enter visa-free. Each country is then assigned a visa openness score and ranked accordingly.
Based on these criteria, Rwanda alongside Benin, The Gambia, and Seychelles obtained a perfect score and emerged as a new champion in 2023, following a progressively more liberal visa regime pursued over the past eight years, noted the report.
For Benin, The Gambia and Seychelles, this was the second consecutive year they got a perfect score but Rwanda took special praise, thanks to the country's progressive visa policies over the years.
In 2016, the year in which the Africa Visa Openness Index was launched, Rwanda allowed citizens of nearly 90% of African countries to obtain a visa on arrival; with citizens of the remaining 10% of the countries being able to enter the country without a visa.
By 2018, Rwanda had slightly increased the number of African states whose citizens visa-free entry was permitted. And in March 2020, Rwanda announced that it would waive visa-on-arrival fees for citizens of all African Union member states visiting for 30 days or less. In 2023, Rwanda liberalized further by extending visa-free access to the citizens of all African Union member states.
"This has eased the burden of travel for the citizens of 35 African countries that had until recently still required a visa on arrival," the report notes.
Positive visa policies
According to the report, Africa is making strides in its visa openness policies which bodes well for cross border travel, ease of movement and trade in 2024 and beyond. In fact, on the same day the Africa Visa Openness Index was being launched, President William Ruto of Kenya said visitors from across the world to the East African country would no longer require a visa starting from January, next year.
Kenya announces visa freedom
"It shall no longer be necessary for any person from any corner of the globe to carry the burden of applying for a visa to com...
