Ghana launches digital visa system in hope to boost tourism

Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama has unveiled the country’s new biometric digital visa system, which allows entry for valid passport holders from all African nations at no fee. Non-African visa applicants will pay $260.

The new visa regime was rolled during an event on Monday which coincided with celebrations of Africa Day held every May 25. The new policy also scraps the visa-on-arrival system which had existed for many years.

Cabinet gave its greenlight for the digital visa rollout recently, and the immigration service had also trained nearly three dozen officers on how to effectively manage the system ahead of its launch, as reported by 3News.

A private partner helped the Ghanaian government set up the digital visa system under a Private-Public Partnership arrangement, Foreign Minister Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa, said. The company has not been publicly mentioned.

During the rollout ceremony, Mahama said the new system is a milestone for the country and will substantially boost its business and tourism potential, as well as advance the country’s push towards socio-economic integration.

“We are gathered here not merely to launch a digital platform, but to affirm Ghana’s readiness to embrace a new era of mobility, connectivity, innovation and economic opportunity,” the president declared during the ceremony.

He went on that “this initiative reflects our determination to position Ghana as a forward-looking nation that leverages technology to improve governance, facilitate legitimate travel, deepen continental integration and strengthen national security.”

The president mentioned that the new visa system is part of wider immigration reforms which the government has undertaken, with the aim of improving efficiency in Ghana’s passport and visa issuance systems.

A chip-embedded passport was launched at the end of 2024, but issuance started in April 2025. The government has also undertaken other reforms including the installation of biometric gates at the country’s main airports.

Mahama recognized that for far too long, travellers seeking entry into Ghana have had to navigate cumbersome and largely manual procedures that have imposed delays, uncertainty and administrative burdens that would otherwise have been avoided.

He also regretted that for many years, “investors, tourists, business executives, students, researchers, and members of the African diaspora have all encountered frustrations that are inconsistent with the Ghana that we seek to build,” adding that “in today’s rapidly evolving digital world, the old systems we inherited can no longer define how Ghana engages the rest of the world.”

“Today’s launch is just building on the foundation of what we started. The Electronic Visa System will allow travellers from all around the world to apply for visas online. They will upload the supporting documents electronically, make their secure digital payments, and receive travel authorisation in their emails or on their phones,” he stated. The visa processing time, according to officials, is 48 hours

President Mahama told the event attendees that launching the digital visa system on Africa Day was not a coincidence.

“On this day, we are not merely unveiling a digital visa platform. We are reaffirming Ghana’s historic commitment to pan-Africanism, African unity, and continental integration. On 7 January 2025, during my swearing-in as president, I pledged to reset our nation,” he said.

“That commitment was not limited only to economic recovery or technological transformation. It was also about restoring Ghana’s place as a leader in Africa’s collective advancement.”

The government says the new system applies only to tourist and business visas, while existing arrangements for other categories of visas will stay in place.

Digital work, residence permits soon

In his launching speech, President Mahama also hinted at plans by the government to move away from paper-based work and residence permits.

He said it was time to modernize the issuance of these documents in a manner that will significantly reduce processing time and eliminate physical bureaucracy.

“You will agree with me that the time has come to move away from the traditional paper-based methods towards an e-permitting platform,” he stated.

He urged the Minister of Interior, via the Ghana Immigration Service, the Ghana Investment Promotion Center, the Ministry of Transport, and Service Providers, “to expand this platform to cover the full automation process for the issuance of work permits and residence permits.”

To him, the move will “boost foreign direct investment, strengthen regulatory compliance, and improve the ease of doing business,” In Ghana.

Article Topics

digital ID  |  digital travel  |  Ghana  |  travel documents  |  visas