Accra, May 25, GNA – President John Dramani Mahama has unveiled Ghana’s new electronic visa (e-Visa) regime aimed at boosting trade, tourism and investment, while improving travel convenience and border security.
The launch, held in Accra on Sunday as part of the Africa Day celebrations, also saw the President announcing the removal of visa fees for all African passport holders applying online to travel to Ghana for business or tourism.
President Mahama said the initiative formed part of the Government’s broader agenda to position Ghana as a modern, efficient and globally competitive destination that leverages technology to improve governance and facilitate legitimate travel.
“Today marks a significant milestone in Ghana’s journey towards building a modern, efficient and globally competitive state,” he said.
He explained that the e-Visa platform would allow travellers worldwide to apply online, upload supporting documents electronically, make secure payments and receive travel authorisation through email or mobile devices.
President Mahama said the platform was fully integrated into Ghana’s Advanced Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record systems and linked to international crime and watch-list databases to ensure comprehensive background checks before visas were issued.
“Let no one misunderstand Ghana’s openness and hospitality as a relaxation of our national security obligations,” he said.
President Mahama noted that for years, travellers seeking entry into Ghana had faced cumbersome manual procedures that created delays, uncertainty and avoidable administrative burdens.
He said investors, tourists, business executives, students, researchers and members of the African diaspora had all experienced frustrations inconsistent with the Ghana the country sought to build.
The President linked the launch to Ghana’s commitment to Pan-Africanism and the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which seeks to promote the seamless movement of people, goods and services across the continent.
“It is fitting that we launch this initiative on Africa Day,” he said. “We are reaffirming Ghana’s strong commitment to Pan-Africanism, African unity and continental integration.”
He recalled that during his inauguration on January 7, 2025, he pledged to restore Ghana’s leadership role in Africa’s collective advancement and said the e-Visa regime represented a practical step towards achieving that vision.
President Mahama observed that although the African Union adopted the Protocol on Free Movement of Persons in 2018, implementation across the continent had been slow.
“Ghana believes that when continental processes move too slowly, decisive national leadership must fill that gap,” he said.
Effective immediately, all African passport holders applying online for visas to Ghana would no longer pay visa fees, while citizens of countries with existing bilateral visa waiver agreements with Ghana would continue to travel freely without visas.
The President announced that the previous visa-on-arrival policy for Africans introduced during his earlier administration had been discontinued and replaced with the more secure electronic visa system.
“Our long-term ambition is even broader… We envisage a future in which all people of African descent can return and travel to Ghana without paying visa fees as they reconnect with their ancestral homeland,” he said.
President Mahama disclosed that he had directed the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Interior to begin work on modalities to implement that broader vision.
He further announced plans to expand digital reforms within Ghana’s immigration and permitting systems by automating the processing of work permits and residence permits.
The transition from paper-based systems to fully digital platforms would reduce bureaucracy, improve efficiency and strengthen Ghana’s ease of doing business, he said.
The President also highlighted ongoing efforts to improve passenger experience at Ghana’s airports.
He said new 3D scanners were being installed at Terminals Two and Three of the Kotoka International Airport to eliminate the need for passengers to remove laptops and liquids from their hand luggage during security screening.
Additional equipment expected in August would also spare travellers the inconvenience of removing belts and shoes at checkpoints, he noted.
The President officially declared the e-Visa regime operational after participating in a live demonstration where the first online visa application was reviewed and approved in the presence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, and the Minister of the Interior.
President Mahama urged African countries to embrace similar reforms and fully implement the African Union’s Free Movement Protocol to deepen continental unity and economic cooperation.
“While some countries are expelling fellow Africans and making them feel unwelcome, Ghana proudly welcomes them and affirms that this is your home,” he declared.
Mr Ablakwa described the initiative as a major fulfilment of President Mahama’s “Ghana is open for business” agenda.
He said the platform would ensure faster visa processing, improved accessibility, enhanced security and reduced human interface, while applicants would receive decisions on visa applications within 48 hours.
The Foreign Affairs Minister also dismissed claims circulating on social media suggesting that the Government had breached an existing e-Visa contract, insisting that no such contract existed.
He assured the public that the project would not result in judgement debt and explained that the system was being implemented under a public-private partnership arrangement without burdening taxpayers.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe
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