Chad to Scrap Entry Visas for All African Nationals Starting January 2027

Chad will remove entry visas for all African nationals on January 1, 2027, President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno announced at the African Water Forum in N’Djamena. The change would cover citizens of all 54 African countries, not only neighboring states or members of regional blocs.

The president made the announcement on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, during the opening address of the two-day forum, held in partnership with the World Bank. He presented the decision as a step toward continental integration and easier movement for people and goods.

“Faithful to this ideal in favor of African integration and the free movement of goods and people, I wish to announce from this podium, on this historic day, that Chad will open its borders and abolish entry visas for all Africans.”

Déby also described the policy as part of the country’s wider effort to open its borders. The new regime begins next year.

Until then, current rules remain in force. Travelers who do not already qualify for an exemption must continue using the existing application process, including the evisa.td platform introduced on May 11, 2026.

The waiver would apply across the continent

The planned measure would make the country the eighth African nation to adopt a total open-border policy for the continent’s passport holders. Rwanda, Benin, The Gambia, Seychelles, Ghana, Kenya and the Republic of the Congo are listed as the other countries in that group.

The move would broaden the current arrangement considerably. The country now allows visa-free entry to citizens of 14 countries, including Nigeria, Rwanda, Benin and members of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community, or CEMAC. That bloc includes Cameroon, the Central African Republic and Gabon.

Only 28.2% of intra-African travel was visa-free in 2025, according to the African Development Bank and African Union Africa Visa Openness Index. The planned change would place the Central African country among those seeking to reduce that barrier.

The announcement also aligns with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the African Continental Free Trade Area, both of which support fewer restrictions on movement and trade.

Border procedures have not been fully set

The government has announced the policy but has not published complete operational instructions covering the new system. Key questions include permitted stay lengths, border procedures and documentation requirements.

That leaves the existing process in place through December 31, 2026. Applicants who are not already exempt must follow current requirements until the new rules begin.

The waiver concerns admission. It does not automatically authorize employment, permanent settlement or professional activity. People seeking those rights will still need separate authorization.

Travelers also should not treat the announcement as an immediate exemption. The effective date is Friday, January 1, 2027.

Supporters expect more travel and commercial activity

Political analyst Évariste Ngarlem said removing administrative delays could produce a “rapid surge in tourist and business arrivals” across the country’s six shared borders. He called the policy a form of “soft diplomacy” that could encourage neighboring governments to adopt reciprocal measures.

Supporters cite tourism results elsewhere. Seychelles generated over $1.2 billion in revenue in 2025 with a high visitor satisfaction rate, while Kenya’s tourism revenue reached approximately $3.8 billion after its travel liberalization.

Those figures describe other countries, not a forecast for the new Chadian policy. The announcement itself tied the measure to integration and cross-border movement rather than to a specific revenue target.

The visa decision came as the government unveiled a $3.8 billion National Water Pact. The pact targets major hydraulic infrastructure investment over the next five years and formed part of the same forum agenda.

Other agreements point to a broader regional shift

The July announcement followed a separate agreement between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Chadian officials. That deal removed visa requirements for holders of Russian and Chadian diplomatic and service passports, rather than for the general traveling public.

The Republic of the Congo also announced a similar visa-free policy with a 2027 start date during the African Development Bank Annual Meetings in late May 2026. The parallel timing points to a broader movement in Central Africa toward fewer travel restrictions.

The planned change would remove application fees and processing delays for eligible African travelers once it takes effect. Its practical operation will depend on the instructions issued before the January start date, including the documents border officials will require and the length of stays they will permit.