Ghanaians didn’t require a visa to visit Kenya, but not anymore

For decades, Ghana and Kenya have had a reciprocal visa-free agreement, allowing citizens of the two countries to visit each other without worrying about visas or permits. But since last January 2024, all that has changed as Kenya introduces a so-called ‘visa-free’ entry policy for all foreigners.

While the Kenyan authorities insist it is a visa-free policy, all travellers, including citizens of Ghana who once didn’t require any form of permit to enter Kenya would now have to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) before they could enter Kenya.

The application process done online requires the submission of all the documents required for a visa application such as return air ticket, invitation letter, hotel reservation and in some instances proof of finances like bank statements. Applicants are also required to pay a processing fee of $35. The request takes 72 hours to get approval.

It is not clear yet if the Ghanaian authorities would review the policy for Kenyan citizens travelling to the country. Often in cases like these, affected countries retaliate.

The Kenyan authorities’ decision to introduce this policy, which can be described as a visa regime under a different name at a time there are loud calls for free movement within the continent and increasing efforts to promote and speed up the African Continental Free Trade Area can be seen as a clog in the wheel of progress in Africa.

By Emmanuel K Dogbevi
Copyright ©2024 by NewsBridge Africa
All rights reserved. This article or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in reviews.