Visa policy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Visitors to the Democratic Republic of the Congo must obtain a visa from one of the Democratic Republic of the Congo diplomatic missions unless they are citizens of visa-exempt countries, citizens who can obtain a visa on arrival or citizens eligible to obtain an e-Visa.

In recent years, it is possible to arrange a tourist visa for visiting the Virunga National Park (on the Eastern Border) through the park itself.

Visa exemption
Citizens of the following countries may enter the Democratic Republic of the Congo without a visa for up to 90 days:

Holders of diplomatic or service passports issued to citizens of Angola (on duty), Iran, South Africa and United Arab Emirates (only diplomatic passports) do not require a visa.

On 14 October 2023, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda agreed to abolish visa entry at their respective borders. Accordingly, both countries plan to carry out follow-up work.

Future changes
Democratic Republic of the Congo has signed visa exemption agreements with the following countries, but they have not yet entered into force:

Visa on arrival

 * Citizens of Mauritius may obtain a visa on arrival valid for up to 7 days.
 * Visitors with a document that proves their DRC origins may obtain a visa on arrival for a maximum stay of 30 days.
 * Visitors with a document that proves that their parents are of DRC origins may obtain a visa on arrival for a maximum stay of 30 days.
 * Visitors arriving from a country with no DRC embassy may apply for a visa confirmation ("visa volant"). A letter of request is sent via e-mail to the Direction Générale de Migration with a photocopy of the passport of the applicant and the inviting person/organization. A confirmation is sent to the applicant which is then used to obtain a visa on arrival, valid for 7 days and extendable in the DRC.

Electronic visa (e-Visa)
Citizens of other countries may obtain an e-Visa for up to 7 days. The electronic visa must be used within 3 months from the date of issue.

Virunga National Park
As tourism is growing steadily for Virunga National Park, the government has joined forces and allowed the Park to act as a facilitator in the visa process. Local tour operators can act as facilitators in the process.

Visa required in advance
Visitors requiring a visa need to submit a legalised letter of invitation from a DRC person or organization. For tourists, a hotel booking confirmation is accepted in case the traveller has no contact in the DRC.