Guyana imposes visa requirement

Clement Rohee

Guyana has imposed a visa requirement on all persons arriving in the country. There will be four categories of visitors, according to Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee:

• visitor
• employment
• student
• business

Rohee told reporters in Georgetown visitors to Guyana will be allowed a maximum of three-month in the country and would have to pay US$25 (GYD$5,000) for each month.

Employers bringing someone to Guyana to work now have to pay US$140 (GYD$28,000) for a three-year employment visa and a similar sum for every renewal. The same fee will apply to Student visas.

Any person entering the country on a business visa would also be required to pay the US$140 fee. Such visas will be valid for five years. Renewal will cost the same amount.

Rohee said Guyana has several reciprocal agreements that allow certain categories of visitors to enter the country without visas. Persons holding Caricom Skills Certificates are not required to have visas to enter and work in any Caricom member state.

Initial reports indicate that the new policy has been working smoothly with authorized embassies and consulates abroad being allowed to issue the visas under specified conditions.