Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has moved to clarify that the country’s upcoming free visa policy for African nationals will not mean open or unvetted entry, stressing that security screening remains mandatory for all applicants regardless of their continent of origin.
Ablakwa confirmed that while Africans will no longer pay visa fees, every applicant will still be required to complete a full application and go through a screening process. “Not paying visa fees does not mean you will not go through visa screening,” he stated.
The policy will be launched alongside a new electronic visa, or e-Visa, platform, with the minister confirming that Ghana is “now ready to launch an e-Visa platform for all applicants worldwide and a Free Visa for Africans policy from Africa Day, May 25, 2026, fully anchored on appropriate security and technological frameworks.”
The e-Visa system will be connected to Ghana’s Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record (API-PNR) system as well as international crime databases, enabling immigration officers to conduct thorough background checks on all incoming travellers. Officials confirmed that individuals with criminal records or who are deemed a security risk will be denied entry, and that approval remains subject to individual assessment.
Ablakwa also addressed the failure of a similar initiative announced in 2024 under former President Nana Akufo-Addo, explaining that the required systems and safeguards were not yet in place at the time, making implementation impossible before the end of that administration.
President John Dramani Mahama made the announcement during the inaugural state visit of Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa to Ghana, with Ablakwa noting that the policy would “significantly promote tourism and intra-African trade” and consolidate Ghana’s standing as “the cradle of Pan-Africanism.”
With this move, Ghana joins Benin, The Gambia, Rwanda, and Seychelles as the only African countries providing visa-free entry to all fellow African nationals. Ghana has also negotiated 23 visa waiver agreements for its own citizens since 2025, steadily improving the global mobility of Ghanaian passport holders.
