Ghana, Luxembourg Begin Talks On Possible Visa-Free Travel To Benelux
By FRANKLIN FRANCIS FREY
GHANA has opened discussions with Luxembourg on a possible visa-waiver arrangement that could eventually ease travel for Ghanaian passport holders to Luxembourg and the wider Benelux region.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa raised the proposal during talks with Luxembourg’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Xavier Bettel, on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
According to Ghana’s Foreign Ministry, both ministers agreed to begin discussions on a potential visa-waiver agreement between Ghana and Luxembourg, as well as the broader Benelux Union.
The Benelux grouping comprises Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
However, the proposal has not yet become a visa-free arrangement. Ordinary Ghanaian passport holders therefore still require visas to visit the three countries.
If negotiations eventually produce agreements covering the wider bloc, the development could significantly improve mobility between Ghana and the three European countries.
For now, however, travellers must continue to follow the existing visa requirements.
The latest initiative forms part of Ghana’s wider diplomatic drive to expand mobility opportunities for its citizens.
Indeed, the government has been pursuing bilateral agreements covering visa waivers, labour mobility, scholarships, trade and investment as part of efforts to secure practical benefits for Ghanaians.
Ghana has already recorded progress on that front.
As of September 2026, visa-waiver arrangements with the Maldives, Zambia and Antigua and Barbuda had entered into force. Ghana’s Foreign Ministry lists all three arrangements as covering ordinary, service and diplomatic passport holders.
Ghanaian visitors to Zambia and the Maldives can stay for up to 30 days without obtaining a visa in advance, while the Antigua and Barbuda arrangement allows stays of up to 90 days, subject to the applicable conditions.
The Zambia agreement followed a bilateral understanding signed during President John Dramani Mahama’s state visit to Zambia in February 2026. That agreement covers diplomatic, official/service and ordinary passports.
Against that background, the proposed Luxembourg arrangement would represent another step in Ghana’s effort to broaden visa-free access beyond Africa and the Caribbean.
Meanwhile, the Ghana-Luxembourg discussions went beyond travel.
Ablakwa and Bettel also examined opportunities for cooperation in value addition, digital technology, agro-processing and industrial transformation.
The Ghanaian government said the discussions were aimed at supporting local industries, attracting investment, creating jobs and promoting sustainable economic development.
The ministers also discussed development cooperation, investment and people-to-people relations, alongside international and regional issues.
Consequently, the visa proposal forms part of a wider attempt to deepen Ghana’s economic and diplomatic relationship with Luxembourg and other European partners.
For Ghanaian travellers, however, the immediate message remains straightforward: the proposed Benelux visa waiver is still under discussion.
Until formal agreements are negotiated, approved and brought into force, ordinary passport holders will continue to need visas for Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands.
