Visa on arrival not cancelled – Immigration

Ghana has denied media reports that it has cancelled the issuance of emergency entry visas, popularly referred to as visa on arrival, to foreign nationals.

Media reports quoting the Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs Minister, Kofi Dzamesi, suggested Ghana had cancelled the visa on arrival policy because some Chinese nationals were abusing it to come to Ghana to engage in illegal mining.

“The Arrival Visa, which the former government granted the Chinese, has been cancelled. So if you are a Chinese and come to Ghana without visa, you will go back to your China land,” Mr Dzamesi was quoted to have said last week.

But a statement issued Monday by the Ghana Immigration Service noted the reportage of the supposed cancellation has “created anxiety and apprehension within the general public and the business community”.

It stated that it has not suspended the issuance of the visa on arrival to any category of persons as suggested by the media publications.

Ghana “continues to issue emergency entry visas (EEV) to all foreign nationals” in accordance with conditions under the Immigration Regulations 200, LI1691, it said.

It has, thus, asked the public and stakeholders to disregard the said publication and contact the GIS to seek further clarification on the matter.