Ghana on Monday launched an electronic visa (e-Visa) application service, to enable travelers who require visas to enter Ghana to apply through an online platform, thereby eliminating the need for lengthy application forms and supporting document submissions via mail or courier services.
Launching the service, President Mahama said the previous visa-on-arrival arrangement for African travelers has therefore been discontinued and replaced with a fully electronic process aimed at improving border management, transparency and security.
What this means is that the financial barrier for African travel has been removed and what remains firmly in the commitment to security, order and effective border management.
“Our long term vision is even broader. We envision a future, and I believe it is not far off, in which all people of African descent can return and travel to Ghana without paying visa fees, as they reconnect with the ancestral homeland” President Mahama said.
“This initiative is not merely about convenience. It is equally about efficiency, transparency, accountability and security,” the President said.
Here is how the new system is expected to work.
Who must apply online?
Under the new arrangement, African passport holders who require visas to enter Ghana must now apply through the online e-visa platform.
African applicants using the platform will not pay visa fees.
Ghana’s previous visa-on-arrival arrangement for African travellers has also been discontinued.
Citizens of countries that already have visa waiver agreements with Ghana will continue to enter the country without visas, as President Mahama clarified during the launch.
Step 1: Complete the application online
According to President Mahama, applicants will be able to fill out visa forms online, upload supporting documents electronically, make secure digital payments where applicable, and receive travel authorisation electronically through email or mobile devices.
The system replaces the previous paper-based and manual visa process.
Step 2: Upload supporting documents
President Mahama said applicants would upload supporting documents electronically through the platform.
Although government is yet to publicly release a full updated checklist for the new e-visa system, existing Ghana visa procedures generally require documents such as a valid passport, passport biodata page, travel itinerary, accommodation details and invitation letters where necessary.
The requirements may vary depending on the traveller’s nationality and purpose of visit.
Step 3: Undergo security screening
President Mahama said the new e-visa platform had been linked to Ghana’s Advanced Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record systems, as well as international crime and watch-list databases.
According to him, all applicants would continue to undergo vetting and background checks before visas are issued.
“Every entry into the Republic will remain subject to stringent security screening and established immigration protocols,” he said.
Step 4: Pay online if required
Under the new policy, African passport holders applying online will not pay visa fees.
Travellers from countries outside Africa may still pay applicable visa charges depending on Ghana’s existing visa arrangements.
Payments, where required, will be made digitally through the platform.
Step 5: Receive the visa electronically
Once approved, applicants will receive their travel authorisation electronically.
During the launch ceremony, President Mahama personally approved the first visa application processed under the system during a live demonstration attended by government officials and invited guests.
The first approved applicant was identified as Petar Zivanovic from Serbia.
What else is changing?
President Mahama also announced plans to expand the digital immigration system beyond visas.
He directed the Ministry for the Interior, the Ghana Immigration Service, the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre and other agencies to begin work on automating work permits, residence permits and other immigration processing systems.
He said the move was intended to reduce bureaucracy, improve regulatory compliance and strengthen the ease of doing business in Ghana.
Airport screening changes coming
President Mahama also disclosed that new 3D scanners were being installed at Terminals 2 and 3 of the Kotoka International Airport.
According to him, the new systems would eventually remove the need for travellers to take out laptops and liquids from hand luggage during screening.
He added that additional screening equipment expected to arrive and be installed in August would also remove the need for passengers to take off shoes and belts during airport security checks.
Why government says the system matters
The government says the e-visa platform forms part of efforts to modernise Ghana’s immigration system, improve border management and support tourism, investment and African integration.
President Mahama described the initiative as part of Ghana’s Pan-African agenda and urged other African countries to speed up implementation of the African Union’s Free Movement Protocol.
