Togo Drops Visa Rules for All African Passport Holders

Togo has become one of the few countries to waive visas for nationals of every African state. On 18 May 2026 the country's head of government, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, President of the Council, ordered a full visa exemption for African nationals holding a valid national passport, and the Council of Ministers adopted the decree formalising the policy on 26 May 2026.

The change comes as continental data shows entry rules moving in both directions, with several governments tightening access even as others open their borders.

Key facts

• Who qualifies: nationals of every African state travelling with a valid national passport
• Length of stay: up to 30 days, visa-free
• Decree adopted: 26 May 2026, after the order of 18 May 2026
• Pre-registration: required on voyage.gouv.tg at least 24 hours before arrival
• Non-African travellers: not covered by the exemption

How does Togo's visa-free entry work?

Although no visa is required, travellers must still complete a step before departure. They have to register on the government platform voyage.gouv.tg at least 24 hours before arrival and obtain a slip to present at border posts.

Security Minister Calixte Batossie Madjoulba said in an official statement, translated from French, that "immigration formalities relating to prior registration on the dedicated government platform remain in force." The minister added that the exemption does not override laws on irregular entry, illegal stays or national security.

The platform's procedures page states that the current process mainly concerns air travellers and will be updated as the system extends to land and maritime borders. Non-African travellers who require a visa to enter Togo are not covered and should continue with the existing application process.

What is changing elsewhere in Africa?

The 2025 Africa Visa Openness Index shows a mixed picture. The share of intra-African travel scenarios requiring a visa ahead of travel rose from 47.1% in 2024 to 51.1% in 2025, while visa-on-arrival facilities fell to 20.4%, their lowest level ever. Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Nigeria and Somalia all switched from broad visa-on-arrival policies to requiring a visa before travel, and Algeria, Angola, Benin, Tunisia and Uganda moved citizens of at least one African country from visa-free access to visa-required status in 2025.

At the same time, visa-free travel scenarios reached 28.2% in 2025, their highest level ever, compared with 20% in 2016, and 39 countries have improved their openness scores since the index began. Only Rwanda and The Gambia offered visa-free entry to citizens of every other African country in the 2025 index. Rwanda's policy dates to November 2023, when President Paul Kagame announced it in Kigali. Kenya became the third-most visa-free country after updating its electronic travel authorisation system to exempt citizens of 52 African countries, while Benin dropped to fourth place after introducing visas for citizens of five countries.

Ghana took a different route on 25 May 2026, when President John Mahama launched the country's electronic visa portal and announced that African passport holders would no longer pay visa fees. African visitors still apply through the e-Visa system, making Ghana's policy fee-free rather than visa-free. Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said the country expected the policy to boost tourism and intra-African trade.

The African Union adopted its Protocol on the Free Movement of Persons in 2018, initially focusing on visa-free entry for short stays. Mali, Niger, Rwanda and São Tomé and Príncipe are the only countries to have ratified it; 32 have signed, leaving the protocol short of the 15 ratifications it needs to enter into force.

What this means for travellers

African passport holders planning a trip to Togo can enter without a visa for stays of up to 30 days, but they must register on voyage.gouv.tg at least 24 hours before arrival and carry the slip to show at the border. Travellers should check which border posts are covered before booking, as the platform's procedures currently mainly concern air travel. Citizens of non-African countries must follow the existing visa application process.

Ghana's approach is different: African visitors still need to obtain an e-Visa, though they no longer pay the fee. Across the continent, travellers should check each destination's current rules, since some states tightened entry requirements in 2025 even as others opened up.

The 2025 index describes recent changes as "nuanced and incremental rather than bold and progressive," and visa-free reciprocity across the continent moved only slightly during 2025, from 20.3% to 20.5%. Togo's government said its exemption was intended to support greater movement between African countries and strengthen Togo's role as a regional centre for services, business and cultural exchange.