Ghana Introduces New Visa Policy To Attract Tourists and Investors

• The government has begun a new visa policy to allow applications to be processed within five working days
• Minister for Foreign Affairs Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa outlined the new policy in an announcement
• Ablakwa said he was committed to positioning Ghana as the preferred destination for investors and tourists

The government has rolled out a new visa policy that will see applications processed within five working days.

This is a reduction from the previous four to six-week timeframe.

Announcing the policy, Minister for Foreign Affairs Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, said the directive takes immediate effect and is aimed at repositioning Ghana as a premier destination for tourism, business, and investment in Africa.

“We have put in place adequate measures at our diplomatic missions to drastically cut down the visa processing time."

According to the Minister, systems have already been deployed across Ghana’s diplomatic missions worldwide to ensure smooth and efficient implementation of the expedited regime.

Ablakwa assured that he was committed to positioning Ghana as the preferred destination for investors and tourists.

However, he also noted that the new timeline does not guarantee automatic approval.

“A decision will be made within five working days as to whether one is eligible for a Ghanaian visa or not."

By drastically reducing visa processing times, this could strengthen Ghana's position as an attractive destination for business and tourism on the global stage.

This ambitious policy is part of a broader economic development strategy designed to remove traditional administrative obstacles and boost international trade and tourism.

Ghana is also working toward implementing an electronic visa system and has recently reintroduced, on a temporary basis, the visa-on-arrival option, allowing visitors to obtain their visa directly at the airport without prior application.

Ghana passport fees reduced to GH¢350

The government reduced the cost of an ordinary 32-page passport from GH¢500 to GH¢350, representing a more than 25% decrease.

In March, Ablakwa said this reduction was part of efforts to ensure that the cost of passports remains reasonable.

Ghana passport application fees were previously increased by over 500% in some cases after a proposal by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2024 under the Akufo-Addo administration.

The standard application fee for 32 pages went up from GH¢100 to GH¢500, while the expedited application fee for 32 pages went up from GH¢100 to GH¢640.

The fee for the 48-page application was also stated to have increased from GH¢150 to GH¢644, while the expedited fee was now GH¢800, according to the info.

The ministry justified the price increases, citing the cost of producing the booklets.

UK visa fees increased across board

YEN.com.gh reported that the UK increased visa fees from April 9, 2025.

These changes affected varying categories of travellers, ranging from students to workers and even victims of domestic abuse.

Aside from the fee increases, there were additional price increases for travelers from visa-exempt countries who require an Electronic Travel Authorisation.

The new Electronic Travel Authorisation fees started on April 2, 2025.

Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Source: YEN.com.gh