Following last week’s release of a 20 measures stimulus package, Mozambique announced details about one of the first measures to be implemented: a revised Visa regime.
The Council of Ministers today announced the approval of revisions expected to impact both foreign investments and tourism alike.
The revisions transform the former short-term simple tourist visa into a joint tourist/business visa and allow visitors to stay in the country for 90 days extending from the previous 30 days allowance. In addition, the Visa will also cover individuals visiting the country for the purposes of scientific research.
The approved revision also covered foreign investors, extending their residence permit from one to two years for investors with US$500k+ projects and to five years for those with US$50M+ projects.
The announcement was welcomed by many in the tourism sector as the country is about to enter its high season. According to the announcement, these amendments shall enter into force 15 business days after their official publication by the Government.
The announcement also addressed the other aspects of the Visa measure introduced by the stimulus package, including an amendment to the current Visa law allowing the Government to implement a Visa waiver program where selected countries with low immigration risk will be granted Visa-free travel and a 90 days permanence period. This proposal is due to be submitted to the National Assembly in the coming weeks.
Finally, the Council of Ministers also introduced an electronic submission system for visa applications. The immigration and tourism sectors within the Government are said to be already working to ensure the effectiveness of this platform in the shortest possible time.
These developments are part of Mozambique’s Economic Acceleration Stimulus Package (PAE), a set of reforms announced by the Government aiming to place the private sector at the centre of economic transformation and development in order to create better conditions to attract investments and create jobs.
