While implementation of ETA systems is not a new development globally, their uptake has accelerated in recent years as more countries adopt pre-travel authorisation systems, generally aimed at travellers who otherwise qualify for visa-free entry. ETAs are designed to be applied as digital processes through which prospective travellers submit certain personal information to the destination country ahead of travel. This provides advanced notice of the intention to travel and shares information that might otherwise not be readily captured by immigration authorities, particularly in instances where visa-free travel is permitted. In essence, ETAs walk back the notion that travellers can freely travel to their destination without the country being aware of travel plans ahead of arrival. This offers the destination country an opportunity to review and adjudicate the application in advance, which may be enabled by different layers of automation.
At their core, ETAs serve several purposes:
- Advance-notice risk assessment: By submitting traveller personal information ahead of time, a destination country’s border authorities have time to cross-check identity against inter alia security databases and ensure compliance with any other conditions (e.g. communicable diseases or other health conditions). The reviewer has the option to reject the application for non-compliance based on self-declarations or other reasons.
- Data capture: Information on arrivals is captured digitally, allowing aggregation and disaggregation of data, which may be useful for policy formulation and execution purposes, such as tourism planning.
- Policy flexibility and cost efficiency: An ETA system is readily scalable and offers cost benefits, while also giving the host country flexibility to amend any entry criteria and information requirements, all in a centralised, digital manner.
Africa’s adoption of ETA systems is a recent phenomenon, but one that is gaining traction. Seychelles and later Kenya first adopted fully-fledged ETAs, as discussed elsewhere in this report. In a more recent development, Seychelles extended the requirement of an ETA to maritime arrivals, while Kenya now exempts citizens from all African countries, apart from Libya and Somalia, from having to obtain one.
Mozambique recently launched an ETA portal that would require travellers from 29 visa-exempt countries to obtain an ETA at least 48 hours ahead of arrival. However, the country’s national migration service (SENAMI) announced that technical constraints in the registration system resulted in temporary suspension of the system. The system remains suspended at the time of writing and has no impact on the country’s AVOI score.1
Zambia, citing security considerations, is reported to be considering the launch an ETA - called an ‘Advanced Passenger Information System’ (APIS) - to pre-screen travellers ahead of arrival. It aims to balance the need for both easy travel and national security considerations.2
Morocco has introduced a temporary ETA for the period September 2025 to January 2026 which is applicable to citizens of eight African countries that otherwise qualify for visa-free entry (Morocco requires a visa ahead of travel from citizens of all other African countries). This development is in conjunction with the hosting of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) football tournament. For travellers attending AFCON and holding match tickets, entry authorisation and tournament tickets are combined into a dedicated mobile phone app.
South Africa is also rolling out an ETA which has been in a pilot phase since October 2025 and is aimed at G20 meeting participants. It is materially different from other ETAs as it applies to applicants from countries where a visa is required ahead of travel (rather than from visa-exempt countries) but digitalises, streamlines, and largely automates, this process. As such, it eases the travel experience by replacing traditional visa processes that previously had to be obtained through consular channels.
Internationally, ETAs were initially adopted to allow countries to have advance information of the pending arrival of visa-exempt travellers, thus also providing an opportunity for authorities to intervene and deny access should it be deemed necessary. As African countries consider similar policies, it is crucial that such practices are not applied simply as visas in disguise. If African countries that already grant visa-free or visa-on-arrival access go the ETA route, it could become a regressive step insofar as the free movement of people is concerned. If they do, then these should be cost-free and limited to basic information requirements, perhaps to address a security angle. ETAs should not undermine or frustrate the intent of visa-free policies.
The AVOI recognises that countries’ immigration systems and policy prerogatives differ, and that there are opportunities stemming from technological developments and broader digitalisation processes. In producing this report, processes that require travel authorisation ahead of travel were reviewed, and that, in the context of easing travel and established intra-Africa visa openness standards, may, de facto, be equivalent to obtaining an e-Visa ahead of travel. Factors such as cost, single-entry validity, the need for a confirmed travel itinerary and proof of accommodation, alongside comprehensive biometrics and contact details, can impose obligations on travellers that may be no different or more onerous than the requirements expected from an online e-Visa process.
In practice, therefore, ETAs operate in a similar way to e-Visas. While e-Visas represent technological progress, the requirement for any visa or advance travel permission still constitutes an administrative barrier to the movement of people across borders.