The Government of Ghana has finalised plans to transition the nation's entry requirements into the digital age with the official rollout of an Electronic Visa (e-visa) policy slated for the first quarter of 2026.

The landmark announcement was made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, during the high-profile closing session of the maiden Diaspora Summit in Accra on Saturday, December 20, 2025.

The policy is expected to drastically reduce wait times and eliminate the bureaucratic bottlenecks associated with traditional embassy applications.

The shift to an e-visa system is being driven by a direct mandate from the presidency to modernise Ghana's diplomatic infrastructure and boost tourism and investment.

“I am delighted to announce to you that this government, under strict instruction of President John Dramani Mahama, will be rolling out an e-visa policy in the first quarter of next year, 2026,” Mr Ablakwa told the gathering of global diaspora leaders.

Beyond mere digitisation, the policy introduces a tiered and strategic pricing model designed to favour continental kin while ensuring fiscal fairness on the global stage.

In a move that drew significant applause from summit participants, the minister revealed that the new system would offer a "special dispensation" for members of the African diaspora, who will benefit from a reduced application cost.

“We have discussed with 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 stated.

Furthermore, Ghana intends to adopt a reciprocal fee structure. This means the cost for foreign nationals to enter Ghana will be directly tied to the fees charged to Ghanaians travelling to those respective 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,” Mr Ablakwa added.

Parallel to the e-visa announcement, the minister hinted at the imminent revival of Ghana Airways.

A technical committee established by President Mahama is reportedly nearing the completion of its work to return the national carrier to the skies.

Mr Ablakwa argued that a national airline is a critical component of economic sovereignty, noting that the flight revenues of the thousands who attended the Diaspora Summit currently serve as an "investment in the Ghanaian economy" rather than being lost to foreign carriers.

“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... where those ticket resources are going to,” he remarked.

Providing the economic backdrop to these reforms, Mr. Augustus Goosie Obuadum Tanoh, the Presidential Advisor on the 24-Hour Economy, urged the diaspora to view these policy shifts as a green light for investment.

He noted that the 24-hour programme aims to revitalise underutilised assets—including ports, factories, and hospitals—by operating them around the clock to meet time-sensitive global market demands.

“The programme would organise production around integrated value chains in strategic sectors, linking agriculture to processing through agro-industrial partnerships supported by logistics hubs,” Mr Tanoh explained.

The synergy of an accessible e-visa system, a national carrier, and a 24-hour production cycle is being positioned by the government as the "triple threat" strategy to address structural economic weaknesses and cement Ghana’s status as a global investment hub.