Ghana sees surge in visa applications as outbound travel rises

The number of visa applications processed in 2023 from Ghana has nearly doubled compared to 2022, according to Hariprasad Viswanathan, Head of Sub Saharan Africa at VFS Global.

Viswanathan highlighted that applications processed at the Ghana Passport Premium Application Centres run by VFS Global saw a 30% increase during the year, reflecting a growing desire among Ghanaian residents to travel overseas.

During a media outreach session in Accra, Viswanathan advised applicants to apply for visas early due to limited appointment slots, emphasizing the company’s commitment to enhancing the visa application experience through innovative solutions.

Additionally, Ghana filed over 42,000 Schengen visa applications in 2022, with Germany receiving the highest number of applications followed by France and the Netherlands

Germany also had the highest approval rate for Ghanaian visa applications at 75.4%, while Malta had the lowest approval rate at 26%.

According to an OECD report, Ghanaians are the second-highest nationality in ECOWAS countries (falling only behind Nigeria) migrating to OECD countries, with a significant interest in permanent emigration.

The report said Ghanaian nationals are largely interested in emigrating permanently (44 percent), which follows Sierra Leone (61 percent) and Liberia (58 percent), the two countries with the most population that want to leave their home country in search of better living conditions.