Towards a Borderless East Africa: Ministers Move to Scrap Visa Fees & Standardize Tuition

Arusha, Tanzania, September 2025

In a move set to deepen regional integration, East African Community (EAC) ministers have agreed to scrap visa fees for citizens traveling within the region and to align tuition fees for university students across member states.

The decision was reached at a ministerial retreat in Arusha, aiming to enhance mobility, trade, and education opportunities among the seven EAC partner states: Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Key Details

Visa Fees: Citizens of EAC states will no longer pay visa fees when traveling for work, study, or leisure within the bloc.

Tuition Alignment: Universities will begin harmonizing tuition fees so that students from one EAC country do not pay higher rates when studying in another.

Timeline: The proposals will be presented to the EAC Heads of State Summit later this year for final approval.

Benefits

Easier travel could boost tourism and business within the region.

Standard tuition fees may increase student mobility, cultural exchange, and academic competitiveness.

Strengthens the case for the EAC as a single economic and cultural bloc.

Concerns

Revenue loss from visas for individual states.

Unequal education infrastructure may create imbalances in student flows.

“Removing these barriers is about building one East Africa, where opportunity is not restricted by borders.” — EAC Secretary General.