The Foreign Affairs Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has announced that Ghana is considering visa waivers for African countries.
According to her, government is putting down measures to introduce free visa waiver to other African countries to help promote tourism and increase the country’s revenue.
“Ghana wants to join the visa-free countries soon and government is “on the drawing board looking at it” and that it is something that we are seriously thinking about,” she stated.
Speaking on the issue with Accra based Citi Tv, she affirmed that, Ghana has plans to attract people of African descent to the diaspora while the country wants to be known for its bragging right as the“pilgrimage country” for them to touch with the motherland.
“Government will come out soon with the decision but for now, the foreign affairs ministry is working together with the Interior and tourism ministry to see through the process”, she added.
November 1, 2023, Ghana and South Africa signed visa waiver agreement took effect, which allowed citizens to travel freely for business and tourism, without any visa restrictions.
The visa waiver applies to holders of ordinary passports, who are allowed to stay in the other country for up to 90 days within a calendar year.
This follows the recent decision by Rwanda, Kenya, and South Africa to allow Africans to travel to their countries visa-free.
The agreement is expected to boost trade and tourism between the two countries. It is also seen as a sign of the growing relationship between Ghana and South Africa.