Equatorial Guinea to launch e-Visa on July 1, 2023
Equatorial Guinea will introduce its long-awaited e-Visa on July 1, 2023, marking a significant step for tourism and business travel despite delays blamed on the Covid pandemic and a previous 2019 launch date.
On July 1, 2023, Equatorial Guinea will mark a significant milestone in its travel and tourism history with the launch of its e-Visa, a new electronic visa system for tourists and business travelers. This long-awaited initiative, originally scheduled for 2019, faced multiple delays—primarily due to the Covid-19 pandemic—but is now ready for implementation.
During a June 15 ceremony marking the launch of the e-Visa, Equatorial Guinea’s Prime Minister Manuela Roka Botey highlighted the importance of this development for the country. She described the official rollout of the e-Visa as "the fruit of collective effort, the will and perseverance of the Vice-President of the Republic to bring this project to fruition."
The introduction of the online visa system will not immediately replace traditional visa processes; both systems will coexist during a flexible three-month transition period.
Equatorial Guinea has signed a contract with VFS Global—a global specialist in visa outsourcing and government digital services, currently managing visa operations for countries such as India—to oversee the delivery of its electronic visas.
To obtain an e-Visa, applicants will need to register using an email address, complete the online visa application form, and upload the required documentation.
It’s important to note that certain nationalities are exempt from visa requirements for entry into Equatorial Guinea: namely, Barbados, Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chad, Tunisia, and Turkey. Travelers from all other countries must apply for a visa—now available as an electronic visa.
Equatorial Guinea is now among 24 African nations offering an e-Visa as of 2022, according to the Visa Openness Index. While its overall score remains low at 0.0190, this initiative represents a meaningful move toward greater openness in travel facilitation.
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