Togo: Council of Ministers adopts new regime for entry and residence visas
Meeting on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, in Lomé, the Council of Ministers took a new step in the modernization of Togolese migration management. Four years after the dematerialization of the issuance of entry visas, the executive has adopted a decree setting the conditions for the issuance of visas and residence permits in the Togolese Republic.
The new text establishes several categories of visas to better regulate the different reasons for stay. It makes a clear distinction between mobility related to economic, professional, academic, cultural and humanitarian activities. The stated ambition is to adapt the visa regime to the realities of each applicant, whether they are businessmen, researchers, artists, students or humanitarian workers.
Beyond this classification, the decree provides for a reduction in processing times for certain categories of visas, thus responding to a recurring request from economic operators and international partners. The text also strengthens the provisions relating to the protection of applicants’ personal data, in a context where administrative procedures are increasingly digitized.
For the government, this reform is a response to the evolution of migratory flows, the diversification of travel reasons and new security requirements. « The control of the entry, stay and movement of foreigners is a major issue of internal security and border control, » the executive stressed in the minutes of the ministerial meeting.
The new system only applies to travelers subject to the visa requirement to enter Togolese territory. It comes a few months after Lomé introduced a visa-free measure for a maximum period of 30 days, for African citizens holding a valid passport or travel document. This decision was part of the dynamic of regional integration and free movement advocated by the African Union.
With this decree, Togo intends to reconcile openness to mobility and security rigor, while consolidating its position as an economic and diplomatic hub in West Africa.
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