South Sudan has addressed reports of introducing a $50 visa fee for citizens of Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo under a new visa regime, while granting visa-free entry exclusively to citizens of Egypt and Tanzania.

In a statement issued on Monday, July 20, 2026, the Ministry of Interior dismissed the reports circulating as false, clarifying they had no legal or administrative basis.

According to the ministry, neither Interior Minister Gen. Aleu Ayieny Aleu nor the Directorate of Civil Registry, Nationality, Passports and Immigration had issued any directive or policy introducing new visa regulations or revising visa fees.

“The Ministry of Interior unequivocally dismisses these claims as false, misleading, and without any official legal or administrative basis,” the statement said.

The government has not approved any policy granting visa-free entry exclusively to citizens of Egypt and Tanzania, neither has it endorsed the visa fee schedule circulating online.

“Any amendments to immigration regulations are undertaken through established legal procedures and communicated exclusively through official government channels before coming into force,” the ministry said.

The clarification follows widespread reports suggesting South Sudan had revised its visa policy.

According to the circulating policy which has since been flagged, Somali, Burundian and Nigerian citizens were to pay $100, while Tanzanians and Egyptians remained visa-exempt and South Africans could enter without a visa for stays of less than 30 days.

The report attracted backlash on social media, after it showed citizens of Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo were to pay a $50 visa fee, raising concern on regional integration.

South Sudan is a member of the East African Community (EAC), whose partner states have agreed to facilitate the free movement of citizens across the region.

Under the current arrangement, citizens of EAC partner states, including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia, are eligible for visa-free entry into South Sudan, subject to applicable immigration procedures.