LUSAKA, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian government said on Tuesday it has finalized measures aimed at facilitating visa-free entrances for the nationals of selected countries.
During the unveiling of the 2023 national budget, the finance minister announced waiver of visa requirements for China and other countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, European Union (EU) countries.
The waiver was supposed to come into effect on Oct. 1, 2022. But Jack Mwiimbu, the Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, said the ministry needed to put in place measures to ensure its effective implementation.
"As you may be aware, policy changes as this one require putting in place a legislative framework to ensure that their implementation is within the confinement of the law," he told reporters during a press briefing.
He said the department in charge of immigration has been working on preparing for the new visa policy which included re-configuration of the immigration management system as well as developing post-entry management measures to ensure that the new visa regime does not compromise internal security.
The department, he said, has also embarked on the recruitment of new staff to enforce compliance with the immigration law and other regulations.
He said after the completion of preparatory works, nationals from the affected countries will not require visas to enter Zambia.
However, he said the waiver of the visa requirement does not guarantee entry into Zambia as the final decision to grant permission for entry rests with immigration officers at the point of entry. ■
