Travel to Columbia for Guyanese nationals will now be visa-free with the inking of an agreement between Guyana and the Spanish speaking nation. The ‘Agreement on mutual exemption of visa for holders or ordinary passports’ was signed Wednesday by Foreign Affairs Minister, Carl Greenidge who is currently attending the 47 Regular Session of the General Assembly of the Organisation of American States [OAS] in Cancun, Mexico.
The agreement will allow persons from either country with ordinary passports to not only enter, but stay in the two territories without a visa.
However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has made it clear that person opting to take advantage of the visa-free arrangement cannot exceed a 180 days stay in total per year. Nationals of either country will be allowed to stay for an initial 90 days, which can be renewed.
It has been outlined too that the agreement becomes effective after both countries complete the internal legal procedures to govern the visa-free entry.
According to a statement from the Ministry, “The conclusion of this Agreement signals a continuation of efforts to advance cooperation between the two countries and the development of friendly relations between their peoples.” the Ministry noted.
Colombia is a country at the northern tip of South America. Its landscape is marked by rainforests, Andes mountains and numerous coffee plantations.