OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso – Burkina Faso has announced the removal of visa fees for all African nationals in a move aimed at boosting regional integration and strengthening Pan-African ties.
Security Minister Mahamadou Sana said on Thursday that citizens from across the continent will now be able to apply for visas to Burkina Faso free of charge.
However, he clarified that travellers must still submit applications online, which will be reviewed for approval.
“From now on, any citizen from an African country wishing to go to Burkina Faso will not pay any amount to cover visa fees,” Sana told reporters after a cabinet meeting chaired by military leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré.
The West African nation joins Ghana, Rwanda, and Kenya in easing entry requirements for African visitors, aligning with broader African Union (AU) efforts to facilitate free movement across the continent.
While citizens of the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) already enjoyed visa-free entry, Burkina Faso’s withdrawal from the bloc earlier this year alongside Mali and Niger cast uncertainty over future regional arrangements.
Traoré, who seized power in a 2022 military coup, has styled himself as a Pan-Africanist leader critical of Western influence and colonialism.
His image, widely circulated on social media, has made him popular among segments of African youth, though he faces mounting criticism at home over an authoritarian governing style and a worsening Islamist insurgency.
Burkina Faso has been one of the hardest-hit countries in the Sahel conflict, with armed jihadist groups controlling about 40% of its territory despite the junta’s promises of improved security and new partnerships, including with Russia.
Announcing the visa fee waiver, the junta said the policy reflects its “attachment to Pan-African ideals” and would also help promote tourism and Burkinabe culture while raising the country’s global profile.
Studies have repeatedly shown that Africans face more travel restrictions within Africa than visitors from outside the continent.
Countries such as Rwanda, Kenya, and Ghana have sought to reverse that trend, implementing visa-free or simplified travel requirements for fellow Africans.
The AU has long pushed for freer movement of people and goods across Africa as part of its Agenda 2063 integration strategy.
