Cabinet has approved three visa waiver agreements, paving the way for Parliament to ratify them and allow visa-free travel among the countries.
The countries are the Maldives, an Indian Ocean archipelago renowned as the world’s lowest-lying country (avg. 1.5m elevation) and a premier luxury tourism destination; Zambia, the Southern African country with a long-standing relationship with Ghana; and Antigua and Barbuda, the Eastern Caribbean Commonwealth twin-island nation famous for its 365 beaches and the sailing hub.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, announced the decision in Accra yesterday, explaining that the agreements, signed during separate diplomatic engagements, would take effect once Parliament gave approval.
The arrangements apply to holders of ordinary, service and diplomatic passports from all four countries, and permit visa-free stays of up to 30 days.
Assurance
The minister said the government would keep negotiating more visa waivers as it enhanced the security features of the Ghanaian passport.
“We shall keep negotiating more Visa Waiver Agreements as we add greater value to the Ghanaian Passport, and at the same time enhance security protocols around acquiring Ghanaian passports,” he assured.
The minister had earlier revealed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had added security features and systems to a new International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) certified chip-embedded passport acquisition process to prevent accessibility by foreigners.
“We are using the latest technology and AI, and it is now very difficult, if not impossible, for any foreigner, any impersonator to obtain a Ghanaian passport.
“We are making sure that only Ghanaians qualify to receive Ghanaian passports.
The value of our passports has gone up, and it is important that we protect the passports so that criminals and other persons who have no business obtaining our passports are kept out,” he added.
The minister affirmed that the government would roll out the e-visa regime next month to streamline applications while strengthening border controls.
The new system, which will be integrated with the country’s Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record (API NPR) infrastructure as well as international crime databases, will enable consular officials to easily conduct thorough background checks before granting entry.
“What is impressive about our e-visa system is that it is linked to the Interpol database and the API NPR, so we are able to vet and screen properly to make sure that unwanted elements are not allowed to enter our country.
We are using the latest technology, AI-enhanced features for our e-visa regime,” Mr Ablakwa said.
Clarification
The minister also clarified that the government’s new “free visa policy” for African citizens announced earlier this month did not mean unrestricted or automatic entry into the country.
He explained that “free visa” meant all Africans did not need to pay for their visa application, but would still undergo consular interview and document scrutiny to ensure that only eligible persons without criminal records were allowed into the country.
“Free visa simply means if you are an African, you don’t pay the cost for a visa, whereas our friends from other parts of the world will be paying about $250 when we roll out the e-visa regime.
“But it doesn’t mean that you will not go through the visa application process,” Mr Ablakwa added.
The free visa policy would take effect from May 25, 2026, a day earmarked as Africa Day.
The policy is expected to mark a significant step towards easing movement within the continent.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh