Parliament has, on Thursday, August 5, 2021, approved a visa waiver agreement between Ghana and the United Arab Emirates, Daily Graphic has reported.
This means that Ghanaian passport holders seeking to travel to Dubai will be permitted free entry into the UAE per the visa waiver agreement.
According to details as contained in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Government of Ghana and the UAE, the agreement comes with a mutual exemption of entry visa requirements with respect to diplomatic, service/special, and ordinary passport holders.
Foreign Affairs Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, earlier in May this year presented the MoU before the House, which was subsequently referred for consideration to the Committee of Foreign Affairs of which a report was later presented in accordance with Order 140(4) and 183 of the Standing Orders of Parliament.
Bryan Acheampong, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, presenting the report before parliament, explained that both Ghana and the UAE showed commitment to further foster bilateral relations.
Acheampong revealed that the visa-free waiver agreement between the two countries does not come with obligations imposing Ghana-UAE to admit persons of questionable character into their terrains.
The agreement, the chairman said, also does not impose financial obligations or financial gains on the two countries from its implementation date.
Bryan Acheampong, however, clarified that the visa waiver agreement which will facilitate the travel of government officials and diplomats is common, except this new arrangement allows for ordinary passport holders to also benefit.
