The government is set to introduce an Electronic Visa (e-visa) policy in the first quarter of next year, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has announced.
“I am delighted to announce to you that this government, under strict instructions of President John Dramani Mahama, will be rolling out an e visa policy in the first quarter of next year, 2026,” he said.
Ablakwa announced at the closing session of the maiden Diaspora Summit held in Accra on Saturday, December 20, 2025.
According to the Minister, the e-visa policy will come with a special dispensation for members of the African diaspora, allowing them to apply at a reduced cost.
“We have discussed at management and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that we are going to have a special dispensation for Africans in the diaspora so that you will not have to make the same payments as others will make, and you can travel to the motherland easily, smoothly and more conveniently,” he said.
He further noted that the policy would adopt a reciprocal approach to visa application fees, based on country-specific arrangements.
“In our discussion, we are going to make sure that there will be a certain reciprocity when it comes to those visa payments based on countries.
“How much we pay when we want to go into their country, we will make sure we are all paying the same in the spirit of reciprocity; so, we can all raise the funds that we need to develop our country,” he added.
Restoring Ghana Airways
Mr Ablakwa also hinted at the imminent return of Ghana Airways, the country’s former national carrier.
He disclosed that President Mahama had directed that efforts be fast-tracked to revive the airline, noting that a technical committee set up by the President was close to completing its work.
“Imagine if all the tickets of those who flew into the country were on Ghana Airways, that money would have been an investment in the Ghanaian economy and not in the other countries, largely in post-apocalyptic Europe, where those ticket resources are going to,” he said.
He explained that the existence of a national airline would have enabled the government to offer discounted airfares to participants of the Diaspora Summit as part of a visa-free arrangement.
Ablakwa added that the return of Ghana Airways would represent renewed national pride and the restoration of Ghana’s global image, echoing the words of Dr Kwame Nkrumah that the “Black Man is capable of managing its own affairs.”
