Mozambique and South Africa have decided to abolish visas for their citizens visiting each other’s countries, a senior Mozambican official said on Tuesday.
A joint technical team is finalising arrangements so that the new system can come into force soon, even in as little as a month, deputy minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Francis Rodrigues said on Mozambican television.
The news has been warmly welcomed in Mozambique as it will end years of stringent visa requirements imposed by South Africa to control illegal immigration.
Visa restrictions were tightened in 2002 and included a high fee of R430 which was non-refundable if a visa was refused.
Mozambicans were also required to present large sums of money to show they would be able to cover their living expenses in South Africa. – Sapa