By Staff Reporter
Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania are moving to operationalise a joint visa framework designed to make cross-border travel easier during the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), in a move expected to support tourism, hospitality and other businesses across East Africa.
The proposed PAMOJA Visa Framework is being developed to allow fans, teams, officials, accredited media, sponsors, suppliers and other tournament stakeholders to move more easily between the three co-host countries during the continental football tournament.
Kenya’s Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya confirmed progress on the initiative following a high-level meeting involving officials from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to assess preparations for AFCON 2027.
The three governments reaffirmed their commitment to advancing and operationalising the framework, which is expected to reduce immigration-related bottlenecks for visitors travelling between the host countries.
For businesses, the proposed arrangement could provide a significant boost by making it easier for international visitors to combine destinations across the three countries rather than treating each market as a separate travel destination.
Hotels, airlines, tour operators, restaurants, transport companies, retailers and other tourism-related businesses are among the sectors expected to benefit from increased movement of visitors during the tournament.
The initiative is also intended to facilitate the movement of tournament-related goods and equipment, alongside immigration and customs arrangements for accredited stakeholders.
The three countries are jointly hosting AFCON 2027 under the PAMOJA banner, with the tournament expected to draw football supporters from across Africa and beyond.
Earlier proposals indicated that the common travel arrangement could allow eligible visitors to move across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania using a single permit during the tournament period. A regional visa lasting up to four months has previously been discussed as one possible model.
The visa plan comes as East African governments face pressure to ensure that infrastructure, transport, security, immigration and other systems are ready for the continent’s biggest football tournament.
CAF has been closely monitoring preparations in the three host countries, with recent meetings focusing on areas including infrastructure, operations, safety, security, commercial activities, ticketing, media and finance.
From an economic perspective, a simplified regional travel regime could strengthen the three countries’ ability to market East Africa as a single tourism destination during and after AFCON 2027.
The tournament presents an opportunity not only for football but also for increased tourism receipts, cross-border trade and investment, particularly if the visa framework is implemented efficiently.
The proposed system would also build on existing efforts to deepen regional integration and simplify movement within East Africa. Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania have previously cooperated on regional travel arrangements, although the proposed AFCON framework would be tailored to the much larger influx of visitors expected during the tournament.
With preparations gathering pace, the success of the PAMOJA Visa Framework will depend on the three governments reaching agreement on eligibility, application procedures, immigration controls and customs arrangements before the tournament begins.
For businesses across the region, however, the prospect of easier movement represents an important opportunity to capture increased demand generated by AFCON 2027 and turn the tournament into a wider economic catalyst for East Africa.