Malaysia Restricts 20 African Countries, Including Ghana, to Air Entry Only

Malaysia Restricts 20 African Countries, Including Ghana, to Air Entry Only

  • Malaysia's Immigration Department published its official visa requirements, listing 20 African countries that require a visa before entry
  • Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Cameroon and other African nations on the list carry an additional air-only entry restriction
  • The air-only condition sets most African countries apart from other visa-required nations such as Bangladesh, Nepal and India

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Malaysia's Immigration Department has officially listed 20 African countries whose citizens must obtain a visa before entering the country, with most of those nations also subject to a stricter travel condition that limits how they can physically enter Malaysia.

The restriction, denoted by an asterisk next to the affected countries on the official list, means that citizens of those nations may only enter Malaysia by air. They may not enter by land or sea, even with a valid visa.

Malaysia, Travel Restrictions, African Countries, Ghana, Nigeria
Malaysia has outlined travel restrictions for 20 African countries including Ghana and Nigeria.
Source: Getty Images

African Countries Affected by Malaysia's Air-Only Rule

The full list of African countries subject to the visa requirement includes Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, Burkina Faso, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, and Angola. Nearly all of these carry the air-entry-only condition.

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Afghanistan also features on the broader list but under a separate classification known as Visa with Diplomatic Reference, which signals a more involved application process than a standard travel visa.

How the African Rule Differs From Other Nations

Not every country on Malaysia's visa-required list faces the same air-only condition. Nations including Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Colombia, Montenegro, Serbia, and India must also apply for visas but are not restricted to entering by air alone. India appears under a separate double-asterisk marking, indicating yet another distinct set of entry conditions.

The requirements published by Malaysia's Immigration Department reflect the country's current entry policy and apply to nationals of the listed countries regardless of the purpose of their visit.

UK Considers Full Visa Ban on some African Countries

The UK government warned Eritrea it faces a complete ban on its citizens entering Britain if it does not begin accepting deported nationals.

Read also

Malaysia lists 6 conditions for foreigners from 15 countries seeking key-sector jobs

Eritrean VIPs have already lost fast-track visa access to the UK as a first wave of punitive measures.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood issued a direct ultimatum to the Eritrean government on October 15, 2026.

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Source: YEN.com.gh

Authors:
Jessie Ola-Morris avatar

Jessie Ola-Morris (Human Interest Editor) Jessie Ola-Morris is a Human Interest editor at YEN.com.gh. She has over three years of experience in journalism. She graduated from the Ghana Institute of Journalism in 2022 with a Bachelor's degree in Communication Studies. Her journalism career started with myjoyonline.com, a subsidiary of The Multimedia Group Limited, where she worked as a writer. Jessie also previously served as a multimedia journalist for The Independent Ghana. In 2024, Jessie completed Google News Initiative News Lab courses in Advanced Digital Reporting and Fighting Misinformation. Email: jessie.ola-morris@yen.com.gh