The Kenyan High Commission in Maputo has warned Kenyans travelling to Mozambique against overstaying in the country beyond three months.
In a notice on Sunday night, the embassy noted that despite the Kenyan and Mozambique governments penning an agreement that allows Kenyans with ordinary passports to enter and stay in Mozambique without a visa for a maximum period of 90 days, some have been exceeding this period.
According to the embassy, exceeding this duration is against the Mozambique immigration law, and those found violating this risk being slapped with penalties which include legal repercussions and sanctions.
"The Kenya High Commission in Maputo has observed an increase in cases of Kenyan nationals overstaying in Mozambique, contrary to the Agreement on Exemption from Visa Requirements for Holders of Ordinary Passports between the Republic of Kenya and the Republic of Mozambique, which has been in force since 2018," the high commission stated.
"The High Commission therefore urges all Kenyans travelling to Mozambique to strictly comply with the permitted duration of stay to avoid inconveniences, fines, or other sanctions," it added.
Under the new foreigner laws that took effect in January 2023, Mozambique can impose fines and impose bans from entering the country for at least 10 years in serious cases and even detain people who overstay their visas.
Kenya and the Southern African country signed a visa waiver agreement on November 21, 2018, allowing for the free movement of their citizens to facilitate trade and tourism between the two nations.
The signing of the agreement was finalised during a meeting between former President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi.
The announcement comes three months after Kenya scrapped all Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) requirements for almost all African countries, to reinforce diplomatic ties and pave the way for tourism growth.
The move was announced on Monday, July 14, through a cabinet dispatch, after it was proposed in January this year. Libya and Somalia are the only two African countries sidelined due to security concerns.
This means that citizens from 52 countries on the continent can simply enter the country without prior authorisation. Previously, the only citizens exempt from having an eTA were those from the East African Partner States.
Citizens of the East African Community (EAC), including Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda, are eligible for the longest of the stays, capping at 180 days.
“As part of efforts to support open skies policies and tourism growth, a key proposal is to grant ETA exemptions to all African countries, except Somalia and Libya, due to security concerns,” a dispatch from the cabinet read in part.
