Applying for the Congolese eVisa 2022

The DR Congo has joined other african countries in enabling possibilities for visitors to apply for an eVisa. Thanks to an advocacy made by Kwafrika Travel CEO to the former Minister of Tourism DR Bunkulu Yves, the online platform has now been launched by the General Directorate of Migration (DGM) to facilitate the application for tourists willing to visit the DR Congo to get their visa online in less than 3 days. Applying for the Congolese eVisa has now become efficient and seamless.

In accordance with the law and regulatory texts, the General Directorate of Migration (DGM) is empowered to issue visas to any foreigner wishing to travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo. The visa can only be granted to applicants who meet the conditions determined by legal and regulatory texts.

In the first part, we go through various type of visas applicable in the DR Congo while in the second part of the article, we will focus on how to get the Congolese Visa online leveraging the recently established Evisa platform.

Types of visas to DR Congo

1. Flying Visa: Authorization granted by Direction Général des Migrations (DGM) to an expatriate / tourists  coming to the DR Congo. This authorization allows the concerned person to arrive at the border and benefit from an airport or port visa to access Congolese territory. It is also granted to guests of the Congolese Government.
2. Airport / Port Visa

Issued at the entry station to the beneficiary of the flying visa or on the express authorization of the Director General of DGM. Its validity is 7 days or more depending on the type of flying visa you have applied for. After this period, the applicant must normalize his stay with the services of the Chancellery of the General or Provincial Directorate of Migration.

3. Travel / Tourist visa

Issued by the services near the diplomatic and consular missions of the DRC abroad. It gives the beneficiary the possibility to enter DRC. This will happen only if he / she meets the following conditions:

• Be the holder of a valid passport.
• Have sufficient means of subsistence.
• Be supported by a legal or natural person regularly established in the DRC

The Travel Visa does not authorize the exercise of a paid activity in Congo. The validity of this visa is 6 months maximum. This visa may be extended by the Direction Générale de Migration for a period of one, two or three months to total the six months. To get a tourist visa, you need an invitation from a tour operator. The invitation should notarised by a notary public as well as stamped by the he Chancellery of the General.

4. Establishment visas

Issued to foreigners wishing to settle in the DRC. This visa confers on the latter not only the status of resident but also the possibility of exercising professional or economic activities under the conditions set by law.

Types of Establishment Visas : Regular, Professional, Studies, Matrimonial, Permanent

Applying for the Congolese eVisa

For you to apply for the Congolese Travel Visa you need to get a DR Congo national of  trusted tour operator opening up a case for you on the Directorate General of Migration (DGM) website.

When applying for the Congolese eVisa you need to take heed to the cost of the visa. That cost depends on its type. We have the Visa Volant Ordinaire and the Visa Volant Specifique. The first one gives you one week in the DR Congo before you are required to extend while the second one give you up to more than 4 weeks.

Cost

• Visa Volant Ordinaire : This type of Congolese tourist flying visa is applied for and granted electronically. The application starts with the person sponsoring your application from Congo creating an account on the E-visa platform. After creating the account, he/she will fill-in all the application forms related to applicant and his/her sponsor information before being requested to pay 50 USD. The 50 USD is paid for the DGM to analyse the visa request, should the visa request be approved, you will be asked to pay additional 250 USD which is the cost of the visa. After paying the visa cost, an online flying visa will be sent to your email.  The sent flying visa (eVisa) will then allow you to come to the DRC and present yourself at any entry post. As you arrive at any border post, the immigration officer will give a VAP (Visa AéroPortuaire) which will be stamped to your passport with a validity of 7 days extendable. The VAP will cost you 90 US dollars (USD) payable at the port of entry (land, sea or lake border). The overall cost of the Visa Volant Ordinaire is 390 USD. 
• Visa Volant Specifique : This type of Congolese tourist flying visa is also applied for and granted electronically. The application starts with the person sponsoring your application from Congo creating an account on the E-visa platform. After creating the account, he/she will fill-in all the application forms related to applicant and his/her sponsor information before being requested to pay 50 USD. The 50 USD is paid for the DGM to analyse the visa request, should the visa request be approved, you will be asked to pay additional 800 USD which is the cost of the visa. After paying the visa cost, an online flying visa will be sent on your email.  The sent flying visa (eVisa) will then allow you to come to the DRC and present yourself at any entry post. As you arrive at any border post, the immigration officer will give a VAP (Visa AéroPortuaire) which will be stamped to your passport with a validity of up to 30 days extendable. The VAP will cost you 90 US dollars (USD) payable at the port of entry (land, sea or lake border). The overall cost of the Visa Volant Ordinaire is 940 USD.

Find below a snapshot of the E-Visa website:

Entering Congo

After applying for the Congolese evisa and getting an approval, you will then have the chance to visit one of the least visited countries in Africa. Here are some of the conditions to enter DR Congo:

• You have got to have a passport valid for at least 6 months
• You have got to have a Yellow Fever vaccination card
• Currency declaration: Upon your arrival in DRC, you are required to declare cash of any currency equivalent to more than 10 000 USD. The same thing should be done as you leave the country.
• As you leave country, you are required to pay an airport infrastructure development fund tax (IDEF) of US $ 58.00 (rate subject to change without notice). This Tax is around 20$ when flying domestically in the DR Congo.
• Unfortunately, travelers to the DRC often experience difficulties at the airport and other points of entry.Arriving at Ndjili International Airport in Kinshasa can be chaotic. Be calm when dealing with security and immigration officers who sometimes may demand unofficial “special fees”.

Visa Requirements to DRC

Never show up at a border crossing without the necessary documents, you risk being turned back and deported by immigration control officers.

• Visa-exempt foreign nationals: Burundi, Congo Brazzaville, Rwanda, Zimbabwe.
• Nationalities eligible for a visa on arrival: Kenya, Mauritius, Tanzania
• Nationalities subject to visa: citizens of all other nationalities can obtain their visa on arrival after having applied for one before starting the trip to DRC.

Cases of passport and visa exemption

• Passport and visa: Travelers under 15, provided if their identity is indicated on the passport of an ascendant or guardian accompanying them. Foreigners who are crew members of an airline if they hold a valid crew member license or certificate.
• Transit visa: foreigners in transit if they do not leave Kinshasa airport during their stopover; Foreigners who transit through Kinshasa airport, traveling exclusively by air and who must wait for the strictly necessary time to take the first correspondence to continue their journey; Foreigners who, as passengers of an airline, have to continue their journey by air from Brazzaville airport (they may also benefit of this exemption from Brazzaville airport to Kinshasa airport); Foreigners who are crew members of an airline if they hold a valid crew member license or certificate.