E-visas offer travellers the option of obtaining a visa through electronic means ahead of travel. The key distinction between an e-visa and a traditional visa lies in the procedural convenience associated with e-visas which can be completed from the comfort of one’s home or office, or even while travelling. An important benefit lies in the fact that an e-visa does not require the applicant to part with their passport, or to travel to the relevant diplomatic representation office, which may be in another city (entailing extra cost, and being without a passport for a period of time – itself bringing with it considerable additional risk). Some of the key benefits of e-visas are:
Fundamentally, an e-visa retains the key elements of a visa ahead of travel and is recognised as such in the AVOI. Information requirements from the applicant are often the same or similar, which may include biometric data, copies of air tickets, confirmed accommodation in the destination country, letters of invitation, a means test (such as bank statements), a scanned copy of the passport and so forth. Some African e-visa systems are more complex and demanding than others, and this remains the prerogative of the host country.
E-visas can be considered a part of a country’s digital strategy and immigration modernisation process. They offer advantages to the prospective traveller in terms of cost, time and convenience, but depending on the specific country’s requirements, can still involve a significant administrative overhead. They also necessitate access to digital facilities for the application process. For the host country, they require investment in an appropriate web-based platform, and associated digital systems and processes, but offer the benefit of digitally capturing and storing applicant’s information. This imposes obligations around digital security and privacy on the host country.
While an e-visa represents technological progress and eases the administrative burden on both the traveller and authorities, it remains but an interim step and should be part of an effort that ultimately eases cross-border travel without visas, so as to fulfil the aspiration of a truly integrated continent. For e-visas to reduce the travel burden and increase efficiency, the process of obtaining them should be efficient, technically reliable, secure, transparent, affordable, and reduce the overall administrative overhead on the traveller.
Africa’s experience with e-visas has been somewhat mixed: even though the number of e-visa portals has grown from 24 to 263 over the past year, the 2024 AVOI report nevertheless notes several shortcomings.
While most of the sites offer a relatively straightforward process involving the uploading of biometric information of the prospective traveller, submission of a passport-type or self-taken photograph, and certain other travel information (such as details of the travel itinerary or confirmation of air tickets and accommodation), others are more akin to an ETA and advise that the e-visa should be obtained before making final travel arrangements. That would preclude confirmed air tickets and accommodation. This process sometimes requires collection of the e-visa at the port of entry, using proof of the travel authorisation or entry letter previously obtained through the destination country’s e-visa process. In some systems, the e-visa is issued for self-printing or storage on an electronic device, while others issue a quick response (QR) code that allows collection of the e-visa at the port of entry – in effect merging a form of ETA with a visa-on-arrival process.
But several e-visa systems do not necessarily offer the expected convenience, or security of data. An e-visa portal that is not secure means that the connection between the website and the applicant’s web browser is not encrypted, potentially exposing information such as credit card numbers and other personal information to interception by third parties.
In one particular country’s e-visa platform, travellers were notified of the suspension of services. Another country’s e-visa portal provided no information on eligibility, basic requirements or costs, and all its web links and references for additional information were inactive. A written enquiry to the stated address raising this issue yielded no response or change, at the time of publication.
In other sites, the availability of basic information on costs, critical documents or information requirements in a clear, non-contradictory manner to facilitate application completion was missing and only revealed after registration on the e-visa portal, allowing little space for preparation. Regular review of e-visa systems is encouraged to ensure that they facilitate simpler processes.
The costs of e-visas also vary significantly among countries. For example, an e-visa may cost USD 10/EUR 10 (for stays up to 14 days) in some countries, while in another, it could go up to EUR 153.
Visa costs can add significant overheads to the overall travel burden. It is not clear whether visa costs are intended to contribute to basic and direct administrative overheads, are a form of cost recovery by the issuing country (for processing and system maintenance) or are a lucrative source of revenue. In order to facilitate intra-African movement of people, it is important that these costs, where they exist are affordable, reasonable and an approximation of the service rendered, rather than solely a source of revenue.
3 This number excludes Lesotho, whose e-visa system is currently suspended. Tunisia (not included in the total above) issued a tender during September 2024 for the implementation of an e-visa system.
