Ghana Becomes 5th Country for Visa-Free Travel

Ghana’s outgoing president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has granted an executive order allowing visa-free access to his country by all Africans.

With this move, Ghana, joins countries like Rwanda, Seychelles, The Gambia, and Benin in offering visa-free travel for African passport holders, becoming the fifth African nation to do so.

Previously, Ghana allowed citizens from 26 African nations to enter without a visa, while nationals from 25 other countries could get visas on arrival. Only two African countries required a visa to enter Ghana, showing the country’s ongoing efforts to reduce barriers to free movement.

The move is in line with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the African Union Agenda 2063.

The order will come into effect early next year, when Ghana will become the fifth African country to open borders for all Africans.

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The introduction of this policy aligns with Ghana’s broader strategy to enhance tourism. As part of the “Beyond the Return” campaign, the Ghana Tourism Authority has initiated a temporary Non-Pre-Approval Visa scheme, effective from December 1, 2024, to January 15, 2025. This initiative seeks to reconnect Africans and members of the diaspora with their heritage while fostering economic collaboration.

Despite these efforts, visa restrictions continue to pose a significant challenge in many African nations. The African Development Bank highlights that stringent entry requirements in countries like Libya, Equatorial Guinea, and Sudan obstruct trade, tourism, and cultural exchange.

This situation is particularly concerning given that some non-African countries enjoy visa-free access to various African nations, while intra-African travel remains constrained by these restrictions.

Ghana was the first African nation to gain independence in 1957 and one of the earliest to call for the dismantling of arbitrary borders created by European colonial powers.

Through the Abuja Treaty signed in 1991, Africa cemented its borderless vision and established the African Economic Community (AEC).

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