The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) on Monday proposed the creation of a single digital visa system to ease travel across member states, boost tourism and attract investment across the Horn of Africa.
The proposed IGAD Regional Visa would establish a unified digital platform allowing tourists, investors and business travellers from outside the bloc to move freely within the region without applying for multiple visas.
As it stands, visitors from outside the IGAD region must apply for separate visas to enter each member country, a time-consuming process that has slowed tourism and regional trade.
The initiative builds on IGAD's Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, adopted in 2020, which provides a framework for visa-free travel among citizens of member states. However, the protocol does not extend to third-country nationals, a gap the new visa system seeks to close.
"The program addresses a critical gap in the existing regional mobility framework by creating a simple efficient entry process four tourists, visitors and businesspeople, complementing the existing IGAD Protocol on Free Movement which focuses on the free movement of IGAD citizens," said the body in a single visa concept paper, unveiled in Nairobi during the 3rd IGAD Ministerial Conference on Labour, Employment and Labour Migration.
According to IGAD, the plan aligns with its Vision 2050 and Regional Strategy 2021-2025, which aims to prioritize deeper regional integration as a driver of peace and prosperity.
Speaking at the event, IGAD Director of Health and Social Development, Ambassador Moussa Ali Meigague, stressed that migration plays a crucial role in economic integration, supporting millions of families through labour opportunities.
"Labour migration is a lifeline for millions of households. With strong governance frameworks, migration can become a driver of decent work, peace and economic integration in our region," he said.
On his part, Djibouti's Secretary General in the Ministry of Interior, Souleimon Meïmin Robleh, who chairs the IGAD Free Movement Cluster, noted that the bloc aims to transform borders into gateways for cooperation rather than barriers to development.
"Regional mobility is not a threat, it is an engine for shared development. Through IGAD's Free Movement Protocol, we are building a future where borders connect rather than divide our people and economies," he said.
According to IGAD, the current system has left the bloc with the lowest visa-free access rate among Africa's regional economic communities, standing at just 14 percent.
The new digital visa aims to change that by making it easier for travelers to enter multiple countries through a single online platform. IGAD plans to roll out the system alongside efforts to fast-track the ratification of its free movement protocol.
