The government of South Sudan says it is removing entry visa fees for Ugandan citizens entering South Sudan beginning today 4th October 2021. 

The announcement came the same day the Ugandan government effected their visa waiver for South Sudan on Friday 1st, October 2021.

“In the principle of reciprocity, the Government of the Republic of South Sudan today has directed the Ministry of Interior through its Directorate of Nationality, Passport and Immigration to waive visa entry requirements for the Uganda citizens holding valid passports issued by the government of the Republic of Uganda with effect from 4th, October 2021,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Deng Dau Deng announced at a press conference in Juba on Friday. 

For his part, the Ugandan Ambassador to South Sudan Ronnie Balya welcomed the move by the government of South Sudan to remove entry visa fees for Ugandan citizens entering the country.

“I want to thank the government of the Republic of South Sudan for this wonderful decision to abolish visa requirements for Ugandans traveling to South Sudan. In reciprocating our similar decision based on guidance by the leadership in the spirit of the East African Community,” Ambassador Balya said.

South Sudan’s Inspector General of Police, Majak Akec, says Ugandans and South Sudanese citizens holding other passports will pay visa fees while entering either of the two countries.

“If there will be some Ugandans and South Sudanese entering both South Sudan and Uganda using different or non-passport of South Sudan and Uganda. We will not consider them and they will pay visa fees,” Akec said.

Both Kenya and Uganda have waived visa entry fees for South Sudanese citizens in a bid to implement the decision of the 36th meeting of the Council of Ministers of the East African Community ratifying the protocol on the Free Movement of Persons within the East African region. 

In April 2016, South Sudan joined the East African Community which includes Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi.