President John Dramani Mahama has announced that Ghana will offer free visas to all Africans effective May 25, 2026, with the policy timed to coincide with Africa Day as a deliberate statement of the country’s Pan-Africanist identity and commitment to continental integration.
Under the new arrangement, Africans travelling to Ghana will receive their e-visas online at no charge.
President Mahama made the announcement at the close of bilateral talks with Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa at Peduase Lodge on Wednesday, framing it as part of a broader e-visa reform programme the government will roll out in May.
He said Ghana, as the cradle of Pan-Africanism, had a historic responsibility to remain open to Africans from across the continent, and that African governments needed to accelerate the integration agenda for which Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah had toiled and sacrificed.
“We are firmly of the view that African governments must accelerate the integration agenda for which Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah toiled and sacrificed.
“This visa-free policy forms part of our broader e-visa reform programme,” President Mahama said.
He said the combined effect of the e-visa and free visa initiatives was expected to advance Pan-Africanism, boost integration and tourism, and strengthen Ghana’s attractiveness as an investment destination.
President Mahama assured the public that adequate systems had been put in place to screen prospective visitors and ensure that national security was not compromised.
He also said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would continue to pursue additional visa waiver agreements for holders of Ghanaian passports, disclosing that Ghana had already signed 23 such agreements since his administration assumed office in 2025.
He noted that Ghana and Zimbabwe already enjoyed a visa-free relationship, saying the two peoples could travel to each other’s countries without any documentation beyond their travel documents.
Richard Aniagyei, ISD
