Dar es Salaam, Maputo Relax Visa Protocol
Saved under EASTERN AFRICA, Mozambique, Tanzania
Tags: Bernard Membe, Dar es Salaam, immigration, Maputo, Mathias Chikawe, Visa
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Tanzanians wishing to visit Mozambique for holiday and business have been exempted from applying for visa for stays of up to 90 days – the same applying to citizens of Mozambique.
This has been made possible following the signing, at the State House, of an amendment to the agreement between the governments of Tanzania and Mozambique on weaver of visas for ordinary, official and diplomatic passport holders.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr Bernard Membe, signed the amendment of the agreement on behalf of Home Affairs Minister Mathias Chikawe, while from Mozambique, the Minister for Interior, Mr Jaime Basirio Maonteiro, signed on behalf of his government.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi who arrived in the country yesterday and his host President Jakaya Kikwete. Speaking shortly after the signing ceremony, Mr Membe added that the agreement means citizens from both countries visiting for more than 90 days will be required to pay for a visa.
He said students have been exempted all together from paying for visa for the duration of their studies in both countries. Mr Membe added that previously, Tanzanians travelling to Mozambique were required to pay for a visa if staying longer than 30 days while those from Mozambique were required to pay for a visa only if they were staying in Tanzania for more than 90 days.
“Now both sides do not need to pay for a visa if visiting for less than 90 days — as opposed to what used to happen previously,” he explained.
Asked how much Tanzanians were required to pay, Mr Membe said: “A whopping 900 US dollars for a visa to visit Mozambique for more than 30 days while Tanzanians charged only 10,000/- for citizens of Mozambique visiting Tanzania while for a business visa, Tanzanians would pay 700 US dollars while Mozambicans would pay 200 US dollars to Tanzania for the same visa.
The jetliner carrying the Mozambican president touched down at Terminal I of the Julius Nyerere International Airport (JKIA) around midday where he was received by his host, President Kikwete, resplendent in a dark blue suit.
President Nyusi, who was in an immaculate dark grey suit, proceeded to inspect a guard of honour mounted on his behalf and received a 21-gun salute at the airport grounds.
Both presidents Nyussi and Kikwete viewed traditional dances at the airport grounds before leaving at around 12.23pm and headed for Hyatt Regency Hotel, before going to the State House for a closed-door meeting, that later witnessed the signing of the amendment of the agreement between the governments of Tanzania and Mozambique on weaver of visas for ordinary, official and diplomatic passport holders.
Mozambican president is in the country for a threeday state visit at the invitation of President Kikwete. A timetable issued by the Communications Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation indicated that President Nyusi was expected to hold talks with President Kikwete on the strengthening of bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
Later in the afternoon, the visiting leader held a meeting with ambassadors from African countries accredited to Tanzania at the Hyatt Regency Kilimanjaro Hotel and was thereafter hosted to a state banquet held in his honour at the State House.
President Nyusi, whose delegation includes senior officials from his government, is today expected to address a business symposium bringing together businesspersons from Tanzania and Mozambique. He will also have an opportunity to visit the Tanzania- Mozambique Centre for Foreign Relations at Kurasini in the city.
The institute was established in 1978 as a joint project to cement bilateral relations between the two sister countries. The tight timetable shows that President Nyusi will as well meet and address Mozambicans living in Tanzania today before he leaves for Zanzibar where he will be received by the President of Zanzibar, Dr Ali Mohammed Shein.
In the Isles, the visiting president is also scheduled to meet and have talks with Mozambicans living in Unguja and Pemba.
He will later depart Zanzibar for Dodoma on Tuesday where he is expected to address the National Assembly, which is currently meeting there.
In the designated capital of Dodoma, President Nyusi is as well scheduled to visit the headquarters of Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) and thereafter make a stopover at the University of Dodoma (UDOM). The visiting president will jet back home tomorrow.
