Ghana is overhauling the two most friction-intensive moments of the traveller experience simultaneously, combining the rollout of advanced 3D security scanners at Accra International Airport with the formal launch of its national e-Visa platform on Africa Day, Monday, May 25, 2026.
President John Dramani Mahama announced the rollout of advanced 3D security scanners at Terminals 2 and 3, which will enhance aviation security while improving passenger convenience by eliminating the need to remove laptops, belts and shoes during screening. He described the shoe removal requirement as an indignity that has persisted far too long, saying it will no longer be necessary once additional equipment arrives.
Passenger numbers at the airport have grown significantly from 1.8 million in 2022 to 2.5 million in 2025, representing an increase of about 39 per cent over three years, with congestion now evident during peak hours between 18:00 and 22:00, affecting check-in, immigration, security screening, boarding and baggage handling.
The scanner programme is part of a broader aviation transformation funded by a newly introduced Airport Infrastructure Development Charge (AIDC), applied to passenger tickets over a ten-year period and expected to mobilise approximately US$800 million for critical aviation infrastructure projects across Ghana.
Other projects under the programme include the extension of the Kumasi Airport runway to accommodate wide-bodied aircraft and the completion of a nearly 54-metre air traffic control tower with ultra-modern equipment at the Accra International Airport. Plans are also in place for a 7-storey multi-purpose car park at Terminal 3 incorporating retail outlets, a sky-view lounge and conference facilities, alongside new airport development at Bolgatanga, Wa and Nsuatre.
On the immigration side, Mahama confirmed that effective May 25, all African citizens travelling to Ghana will receive their e-Visas online free of charge, with the announcement timed deliberately to coincide with Africa Day. The president said the e-Visa system, developed by Ghanaian engineers, will be expanded to cover work and residence permits to create a fully automated immigration ecosystem. He credited the Ghana Immigration Service and the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) for their collaboration in delivering both reforms.
Mahama said digitising visa and permit processes would enhance the ease of doing business and align with continental free movement obligations under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), urging other African nations to accelerate implementation of free movement protocols.
The double announcement consolidates a reform agenda that began in February 2026 when the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) first publicly flagged its intent to introduce 3D scanners and push for the formal repeal of the shoe removal requirement, describing it as incompatible with a modern passenger experience.
