A visa waiver agreement has been signed between Ghana and Antigua and Barbuda at the United Nations General Assembly. The deal was signed by Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, and Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Barbuda Affairs, H.E. E.P. Chet Greene.

During the signing ceremony, Ablakwa noted that with the recent development, Ghana has successfully signed ten visa-free travel deals for its citizens under his leadership.

He added, “The Mahama Administration is deliberate about adding more value to the Ghanaian Passport, projecting our image in the comity of nations and enhancing the travel experience of Ghanaians as we boost trade, tourism, and in this particular instance connect us to our brothers and sisters in the Caribbean”.

In July, the Parliament approved the ratification of agreements to waive the visa requirements for holders of diplomatic, service and ordinary passports to four countries.

These are Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe, Colombia and the Commonwealth of Dominica. Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Committee in Parliament, Hon. Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije, while speaking on the floor of the House on Wednesday, July 23, explained that the objective of the agreements is to encourage multilateral partnership in areas such as trade, tourism, energy, education, and agriculture.

There are no anticipated direct revenue losses from the implementation of the agreements, Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, said when he appeared before the House.He also confirmed that the visa waiver arrangements will contribute to a surge in trade, tourism, and other forms of bilateral cooperation for the countries involved.

The government of Ghana has, in recent times, joined the many African countries waiving visa requirements to sister countries to enhance trade and boost economic growth.In March this year, Ghana and Morocco took a significant step toward enhancing diplomatic and economic relations by agreeing to introduce a visa waiver for all categories of travelers.

The agreement, which is set to be presented to both nations' parliaments for ratification, aims to facilitate seamless travel and boost cooperation in various sectors.

The decision emerged from discussions between Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, and the Moroccan Ambassador to Ghana, Her Excellency Imane Ouaadil, on March 23.

During their meeting, Ambassador Ouaadil also addressed concerns over recent viral videos alleging violence against Africans in Morocco. She clarified that the footage in circulation was from a past border incident on June 24, 2022, which led to the deaths of 23 individuals but did not involve any Ghanaian casualties.

Additionally, Morocco has announced a significant boost in educational support for Ghana, doubling scholarships for Ghanaian students from 90 to 180 this year.

In March last year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration informed the public that the Republic of Ghana and the Republic of Malawi entered into an agreement on a visa waiver regime for holders of ordinary, diplomatic, and service passports, which took effect on 7th February 2024.

The decision was taken to strengthen their bilateral relations and existing cooperation. In light of this, travellers transit through, depart from, and stay in the territory of both countries for a cumulative period of up to ninety (90) days without recourse to work within a calendar year.

On November 1, 2023, Ghana and South Africa began the implementation of a 90-day visa waiver programme for holders of ordinary passports.For this number of days, there was no need for work permits.

In reaction to the visa waiver agreements, at the Bi-National Committee meeting in Johannesburg, President Ramaphosa noted that the visa waiver has positively influenced bilateral ties.

“We welcome you to the second session of the Bi-National Commission between the Republic of South Africa and the Republic of Ghana, we welcome you with warm hearts. One of the recent highlights in our bilateral relations was the signing of the reciprocal visa exemption for ordinary passport holders for a period of 90 days per annum, which entered into force on November 1, 2023. The surge in travellers between our nations has not only benefited tourism but has also strengthened our business connections, educational collaborations, and interpersonal relationships," President Ramaphosa said.

Following this, some Nigerians took to social media to question why the Tinubu-led government had not been able to secure similar arrangements.

“Nigeria should asked itself, why is South Africa not extending this same visa regime to Nigeria? What has our fellow country done in the past that South Africa is not extending this 90 days free entry visa to Nigeria. We need to look at the mirror to answer this question,” one Omano Edigheji, PhD quizzed.

Ghana kick-started a visa-on-arrival waiver strategically designed to ignite a surge in tourism through the government's "Beyond the Return" drive, and this ran from December 22 to January 15, 2023.

The policy is a prominent feature of the "Beyond the Return" initiative, a decade-long plan framed under the theme "A decade of African Renaissance—2020-2030." "Beyond the Return" follows in the footsteps of the "Year Of Return" initiative launched in 2019, commemorating the 400th Anniversary of the arrival of the first recorded enslaved Africans in Jamestown, Virginia, in 1619. The aim is to beckon people of African origin to Africa, particularly Ghana.

In 2021, Parliament approved a visa waiver agreement between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Ghana. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by both parties was presented to the House by the then-Foreign Affairs Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway.

African countries that waived their visa requirementsEffective January 2024, Kenya eliminated visa requirements, opening its borders to all foreign nationals. Kenyan President William Ruto, in his announcement on December 12, 2023, revealed that the country is transitioning to a visa-free status.

President Ruto stated, “This is to echo a message to humanity to welcome everyone home…this is why the government of Kenya has abolished the requirements of visas for all visitors.”

“To implement this policy, we have developed a digital platform to ensure that all travellers to Kenya are identified in advance on an electronic platform. Consequently, all travellers will obtain electronic travel authorization as they come to Kenya,” President Ruto added.

Uganda is the third East African Community (EAC) Partner State to waive visa requirements for DRC citizens after Kenya and Tanzania.The decision was taken during the 8th Ordinary Session of the Joint Permanent Commission between the two Partner States in Kinshasa, DRC, on Saturday, 21st October, 2023.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni who had been advocating for visa-free entry between the two nations, remarked, “Crossing in East Africa should be cost-free. You pay for a visa when going to America, or Europe, but a visa to DR Congo?! That is rubbish. If that is the case, I have removed it.”

President Museveni commented two years ago in December when he launched the Mpondwe one-stop border post at Uganda's border with DR Congo. The East African Community (EAC) applauded the decision by the Republic of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to waive visa fee requirements for citizens travelling across their borders.

In 2021, DRC joined the EAC as its seventh Partner State. The other partner states are the Republics of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania.