Rédaction Africa Links 24 with News Desk
Published on 2024-03-23 09:45:49
Ghana and Malawi have recently signed a visa waiver agreement that allows nationals of both countries to visit each other’s territory for tourism, business, or while on transit for up to 90 days without the need to obtain a visa. This agreement serves to strengthen bilateral relations and existing cooperation between the Republic of Ghana and the Republic of Malawi. The visa waiver regime for holders of ordinary, diplomatic, and service passports went into effect on 7th February 2024.
According to a press statement issued by Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, travelers from both countries can now transit through, depart from, and stay in each other’s territories for a cumulative period of up to 90 days within a calendar year without needing a visa for work purposes. The traveling public is advised to take note of this new visa waiver agreement to facilitate smoother travel experiences between Ghana and Malawi.
This recent agreement follows a similar pact signed between Ghana and South Africa on November 1, 2023. This agreement allows citizens of the two nations to enjoy the same visa waiver privileges, enhancing travel opportunities between Ghana and South Africa.
In terms of passport rankings, the Ghanaian passport currently ranks 75 out of 195 countries according to the Henley and Partners Passport Index. Ghanaian passport holders have access to 65 visa-free, visa-on-arrival, and Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) countries. With the addition of Malawi to the list, Ghanaian passport holders can now travel to a total of 166 visa-free countries, expanding their global travel opportunities.
Some of the countries that Ghanaian ordinary passport holders can visit without needing a visa include Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde Islands, Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Malawi, and Zimbabwe. Additionally, there are countries outside of Africa that Ghanaian passport holders can visit without a visa, such as Cook Islands, Fiji, Micronesia, Niue, Vanuatu, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Guyana, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Philippines, and Singapore.
This visa waiver agreement between Ghana and Malawi opens up new opportunities for travel, business, and cultural exchange between the two nations. It reflects a commitment to enhancing mutual cooperation and strengthening diplomatic ties for the benefit of both countries. With increased access to visa-free countries, Ghanaian passport holders can explore more destinations around the world with ease.
