Africa-Press – Eswatini. It is good news for emaSwati travellers as Angola has passed a resolution to allow 98 countries visa-free entry, including Eswatini, in an effort to boost her economy.
A visa is a conditional authorisation granted by a polity to a foreigner that allows them to enter, remain within, or leave its territory. The visa will allow entry into that country for a period of 90 days. Angola listed Portugal, Brazil, Cape Verde, the United States, Russia and China as its priority foreign countries. The new resolution is contained in a Presidential Decree Number 189/23 dated September 29, 2023. This is according to trtafrika.com, which is a reputable online news publication. Angolan President Joao Lourenco has directed the Foreign Affairs Ministry of that country to communicate to the beneficiary countries about the exemption from tourist visas. Angola’s famous tourist attractions include the tropical Atlantic beaches, the sub-Saharan Namib desert and several rivers. However, for other types of visas such as work, study, medical treatment or residence permit, foreign citizens must apply through formal channels.
Visa-free
The 90-day visa-free stay in Angola is granted to people arriving in the country exclusively for tourism purposes. Apart from Eswatini, listed among the 13 African countries on the list of visa-free beneficiaries are Tanzania, Morocco, Lesotho, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Equatorial Guinea, Botswana, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Seychelles, Cape Verde and Algeria.
Furthermore, Asia has 11 countries on the visa-exempt list and they include Israel, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Japan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, India, Indonesia, Singapore, Timor-Leste and China. Europe has 35 countries on the list. They include Türkiye, Russia, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, the Vatican State, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Hungary, the Netherlands, Monaco, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Great Britain and Ireland. Other European nations on the list are; Norway, Estonia, Finland, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovakia, France, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Cyprus, Slovenia, Iceland, Italy and Portugal.
In America, the countries mentioned on the list are the United States of America (USA), Mexico, Argentina, Canada, Chile, Panama, Uruguay and Brazil. From the Oceania region, the countries that will enjoy 90-day visa-free entry to Angola are Fiji, Australia, Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Niue Island. In the Caribbean and Pacific region, 16 countries were selected. They include Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Belize, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Cook Islands, Jamaica, Kiribati and Dominican Republic.
Exempted
Also exempted are Saint Lucia, the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. The new directive takes effect immediately. Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Newman Ntshangase referred this reporter to the Ministry of Home Affairs for comment. However, the Communications Officer Mlandvo Dlamini could not be reached for comment yesterday due to other commitments. He, however, said Eswatini had bilateral relations with Angola which was no surprise to the new developments. Both countries established diplomatic relations on November 8, 1989. Eswatini is a member of the United Nations (UN), the Commonwealth of Nations, the African Union (AU), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, and the Southern African Development Community. Currently, the Kingdom of Eswatini maintains 11 embassies and High Commissions along with 15 consulates and other representations around the world, while there are five embassies and High Commissions in Eswatini as well as 14 consulates and other representations.
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