The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Wednesday announced the lifting of visa restrictions on Kenyans traveling to the Central Africa state.

DRC’s Ministry of Interior, Security, and Customary Affairs announced through a circular note addressed to all airline managers.

“The Directorate General of Migration informs you that from September 1, 2023, nationals of the Republic of Kenya are exempt from entry visas to the Democratic Republic of Congo,” read the note signed by Roland Kashwantale Chihoza, DRC’s Head of the Directorate General of Migration (DGM).

Five days after Kenya removed the need for visas for its nationals, the DRC made the change.

Passport holders from the DR Congo do not require a visa to enter Kenya.

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According to Evelyn Cheluget, director general of immigration and citizen services, the waiver complies with "the East Africa Community (EAC) regulations on free movement of persons within the member states."

Following DRC's accession to EAC in April 2022, President William Ruto had also issued an order to that effect in July 2023.

Cheluget says, "the government has moved the DRC from Category 2 to Category 1 of the visa regulations."

All regional directors, foreign missions, and officers in charge of border posts received notice of the directive's execution.

In April 2022, the DR Congo officially joined the EAC as its seventh member, signing the Treaty of Accession at State House, Nairobi, with then EAC Chair and Kenya’s former President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The move followed DRC’s fulfillment of the conditions outlined in Articles 3 and 4 of the Treaty for establishing the EAC.