Commencing on November 1, 2023, this agreement will allow citizens from either countries to visit the other without the need for a visa, provided the stay does not exceed 90 days.
Charles Owiredu, Ghana's High Commissioner to South Africa, shared details about the practical application of this 90-day visa-free agreement during an interview on the JoyNews channel, and monitored by GhanaWeb.
“The 90-day is cumulative, meaning that, if you enter South Africa today and you plan to stay 10 days, they will subtract the 10 days from the 90 days for a year. So now, you are left with 80 days. You can decide to give it one shot, you go there and spend all the 90 days.
“Once you exhaust the 90 days within a year and then you still want to visit South Africa, you have to apply for a visa,” he stated.
The High Commissioner added that the visa-free agreement is not intended for individuals attempting to extend their stay or engage in activities beyond the defined 90-day period.
“Ordinarily when you are travelling, you need to have your accommodation. You need to know where you are going so that when you are engaged by the border control officers, you tell them that indeed you are coming in to visit and that you are not coming in to work.
“The arrangement frowns upon Ghanaians who will come in to stay or study or come in and refuse to leave the jurisdiction,” he added.
Background
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has announced a visa waiver for persons with ordinary passports in Ghana and South Africa.
In a statement, the ministry noted that the agreement is set to bring about significant changes for travellers between these two nations.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration announced to the general public on October 13, 2023, that the Republic of Ghana and the Republic of South Africa entered into an Agreement on a visa waiver regime for holders of ordinary passports," part of the statement read.
Under the terms of this agreement, travellers holding ordinary passports from both countries will no longer require visas for certain visits.
“Travellers may transit through, depart from and stay in the territory of both countries for a cumulative period of up to ninety (90) recourse to work. The travelling public is thereby advised to take note,” the statement concluded.
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File photo: 90-day Visa free waiver is cumulative