19 September 2017
Note: This article first appeared on Agence Ecofin
Foreigners wishing to visit the Republic of Benin will soon be able to obtain their visa directly online. Visa applicants will have access to a digital platform developed for this purpose. Payment can be made directly online or at the borders.
The new service should be formally operational in the country as of 1 st January 2018. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Aurélien Agbenonci (photo), who announced last week as he proceeded the launch of the diplomatic return to the country.
The diplomatic modernity reflected by the e-visa, unveiled on September 14, 2017, by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, is in line with the government's ambitions to make Beninese diplomacy a powerful resource mobilization tool at the service of economic development, in accordance with the "Benin Revealed" action program.
In its 2016 report on the visa liberalization index in Africa, the African Development Bank (AfDB) group estimates that the harshness of obtaining visas in Africa, caused by red tape, is slowing the flow of goods and people. This barrier has "significant implications" for regional economies.
Benin, which wants to become a land of economic attractiveness, understood this, as did the 13 other African countries that opted for the electronic visa in order to facilitate the travel formalities of foreigners to their territory.
Download the report (pdf)
