SA to sign visa waiver agreements with several countries

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Pretoria – South Africa is to sign visa waiver agreements with Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Italy, Panama and Spain on Friday.

Agreements between South Africa and the Benelux States of Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg will be signed on the exemption of visa requirements for holders of diplomatic, official and/or service passport holders.

An agreement between Italy and South Africa will be signed on the exemption of visa requirements for holders of valid diplomatic and service or passport holders.

South Africa and Spain will sign an agreement regarding visa requirements for holders of diplomatic passports.

South Africa will sign an agreement with Panama concerning reciprocal exemption from visa requirements for holders of diplomatic, official, consular and special passports.

The Minister of Home Affairs, Naledi Pandor, will sign the agreements on behalf of the South African government at her offices in Pretoria.

The department said the visa waiver agreements were signed between two countries with a view to enhancing economic, cultural and humanitarian ties.

The countries, South Africa is signing agreements with, will be represented by their respective ambassadors: Johan Maricou, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium; Andre Haspels, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; Vincenzo Schioppa, Ambassador of the Republic of Italy; Rodrigo Guilermo Chiari Alvarez, Ambassador of the Republic of Panama and Juan Sell Sanz, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain. – SAnews.gov.za