Rabat – Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby announced on Wednesday that the country will introduce visa-free entry for all African nationals starting January 1, 2027.
Chad will open its borders for African travelers to support “African integration and the free movement of people and goods,” the head of State stated at the opening of the African Water Forum organised in N’Djamena.
The Central African country will become one of the few among the continent’s 54 nations to grant visa-free entry for citizens of every African country.
Several African countries, including Rwanda, Benin, The Gambia, Seychelles, Kenya, Togo, and Ghana, have removed or substantially eased visa requirements for African travelers
Visa exemptions form part of the African Union’s vision for greater continental mobility. The organization encourages the gradual removal of visa requirements among African nations to facilitate continental economic integration, develop intra-African tourism, and promote talent mobility.
The Republic of the Congo recently joined the movement after President Denis Sassou N’Guessou announced that it would introduce visa-free entry for all African nationals beginning January 1, 2027. The announcement came during the 2026 African Development Bank (AfDB) Annual Meetings, held in Brazzaville in late May.
Most African countries still require visas, electronic visas, or other forms of prior authorization from African travelers. This administrative reality, however, remains at odds with the objectives of the African Union (UA) and African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
As of today, Moroccan travelers still need an e-visa to visit Chad and a visa on arrival for the Republic of the Congo. The measures taking effect in 2027 could help strengthen Morocco’s trade and tourism ties with both countries while pushing other African states to follow the same path.
