The Togolese government has announced the immediate abolition of entry visa requirements for nationals of all African countries holding a valid national passport.
In an official statement released in Lomé, the Minister of Security and Civil Protection, Colonel Calixte Batossie Madjoulba, explained that the landmark policy reflects a consistent commitment to promoting broader African integration, easing the mobility of people and goods, and fostering deeper state-level cooperation across the continent. With this decision, Togo aims to significantly enhance its economic attractiveness and position itself as a central regional hub for business, services, and human exchange.
The newly enacted visa exemption is strictly applicable for short-term stays not exceeding 30 days. Despite the elimination of standard visa applications, incoming travelers remain fully subject to existing immigration, national security, and public health checks at all border entry points. To manage this process, the Ministry of Security specified that all African nationals must complete a mandatory pre-arrival digital registration on the official government platform, voyage.gouv.tg, at least 24 hours prior to travel. This online filing generates a travel clearance document that passengers must present to border agents upon arrival.
By eliminating these entry barriers, Lomé aligns its border policies with a select group of progressive African nations that have already committed to visa-free travel for continental citizens, including Rwanda, Seychelles, The Gambia, Benin, and Ghana. The initiative addresses a persistent bottleneck highlighted by the African Development Bank’s Visa Openness Index, which noted that only 28.2% of intra-African travel routes were completely visa-free by the end of 2025. Togolese authorities expect that removing these administrative hurdles will directly support the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area by encouraging open commercial and cultural exchange.
AC/lb/abj/APA