Togo Updates Rules for Entry Visas and Residence Permits

Togo has introduced new entry visa rules four years after digitizing its visa application process. The Council of Ministers, meeting in Lomé on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, adopted a decree setting out the rules for issuing entry visas and residence permits in Togo. The decree establishes several visa categories covering different purposes of travel and stay, including economic, professional, academic, cultural and humanitarian activities. The aim is to tailor the visa system to different types of travelers, including businesspeople, researchers, artists, students and humanitarian workers. The decree also introduces shorter processing times for certain visa categories and strengthens protections for applicants’ personal data as more administrative procedures move online. The government said the reform reflects changing migration patterns, a wider range of travel purposes and evolving security requirements. “Controlling the entry, stay and movement of foreigners is a major issue for internal security and border management,” the government said. The new system applies only to travelers who are required to obtain a visa to enter Togo. It comes a few months after Togo introduced visa-free entry for stays of up to 30 days for African citizens holding a valid passport or travel document. Esaïe Edoh

Source: Original reporting via Togo First