Ghana launches digital e-visa system, scraps visa fees for Africans

Ghana has unveiled its first fully digital e-visa system and removed visa fees for African travellers in a major policy shift aimed at promoting regional integration, trade and investment across the continent.

The reforms, announced in Accra on Africa Day by Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, as reported by Norvan reports, will allow travellers to complete visa applications online without visiting Ghanaian embassies or consulates.

Government officials say the move is expected to significantly reduce processing delays and eliminate bureaucratic hurdles that have long affected tourists, investors, business executives and conference delegates travelling to Ghana.

The initiative forms part of President John Dramani Mahama’s broader “Ghana Open for Business” agenda, which seeks to boost investor confidence, increase tourism arrivals and strengthen Ghana’s position within the African Continental Free Trade Area framework.

Under the new policy, African nationals will no longer be required to pay visa fees to enter Ghana.

However, travellers will still need to submit applications electronically and undergo digital security clearance before approval is granted.

Authorities stressed that the changes do not weaken border security, but rather modernise immigration systems to improve efficiency while maintaining strict oversight.

The new e-visa platform has been linked to Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record systems, as well as international criminal intelligence databases, to enhance pre-arrival screening and risk assessment procedures.

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