The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has proposed a major push for economic integration with the creation of a single digital visa system. The initiative, announced Monday at the 3rd IGAD Ministerial Conference on Labour, Employment and Labour Migration, aims to simplify travel for non-citizens, boost tourism, and attract vital investment to the Horn of Africa.
The proposed IGAD Regional Visa would establish a unified digital platform. This would allow tourists, investors, and business travelers from outside the bloc to apply for one visa to move freely across all member states.
This new digital platform is designed to complement IGAD’s existing 2020 Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, which already grants visa-free travel to citizens of member states. However, the protocol does not cover third-country nationals, a crucial gap the new visa seeks to close.
“The program addresses a critical gap in the existing regional mobility framework by creating a simple [and] efficient entry process for tourists, visitors, and businesspeople,” the body stated in its concept paper, unveiled in Nairobi.
According to IGAD data, the current fragmented system has resulted in the bloc having Africa’s lowest visa-free access rate among all regional economic communities, standing at a mere 14 percent. The new digital visa aims to revolutionize this, making travel and investment significantly easier.
The initiative is a key part of IGAD’s Vision 2050 and Regional Strategy 2021–2025, which identifies deeper regional integration as a primary catalyst for peace and prosperity.
Speaking at the conference, Ambassador Moussa Ali Meigague, IGAD Director of Health and Social Development, highlighted the economic importance of mobility. “Labour migration is a lifeline for millions of households… With strong governance frameworks, migration can become a driver of decent work, peace, and economic integration in our region,” he said.
Souleimon Meïmin Robleh, Djibouti’s Secretary General in the Ministry of Interior and Chair of the IGAD Free Movement Cluster, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing a shift in perspective on borders. “Regional mobility is not a threat, it is an engine for shared development. Through IGAD’s Free Movement Protocol, we are building a future where borders connect rather than divide our people and economies,” he asserted.
IGAD plans to roll out the digital visa system alongside efforts to expedite the ratification of the free movement protocol among its member nations.