Ghana, South Korea sign first visa waiver agreement after nearly 50 years of diplomatic relations

Josephine Amuzu 07:06 - 01 June 2026

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Ghana's Foreign Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and South Korea’s Foreign Minister, Cho Tae-yul

Ghana and South Korea have signed a historic visa waiver agreement for diplomatic and service passport holders, marking the first such deal after nearly 50 years of bilateral relations.

Ghana and South Korea signed a visa waiver agreement for diplomatic and service passport holders after nearly 50 years of diplomatic relations.
Foreign Ministers Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and Cho Tae-yul signed the deal during the 2026 Korea–Africa Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Seoul.
Ghana says negotiations will continue to include ordinary passport holders in the future.

Ghana and South Korea have signed a visa waiver agreement for holders of diplomatic and service passports in a move aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.

The agreement, announced by Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, on June 1, 2026, marks the first visa waiver arrangement between Ghana and South Korea in nearly 50 years of formal diplomatic relations.

The agreement was signed by Mr. Ablakwa and South Korea’s Foreign Minister, Cho Tae-yul, on the sidelines of the 2026 Korea–Africa Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Seoul.

According to Mr. Ablakwa, discussions will continue to expand the arrangement to include holders of ordinary passports in the future.

“Negotiations will continue to bring on board holders of Ordinary Passports,” he stated.

He described the agreement as a major step in deepening ties between the two countries, adding that it aligns with priorities set following President John Mahama’s working visit to South Korea in March this year.

I am delighted we are delivering on key priorities following the working visit of President Mahama to South Korea in March this year.

Following the signing ceremony, Mr. Ablakwa presented Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul with a customised Ghanaian coat of arms and locally made Ghanaian chocolate as a goodwill gesture.

The visa waiver agreement is expected to ease official travel between both countries and strengthen cooperation in diplomacy, trade, and bilateral engagement.

LIVE | Ghana and South Korea have signed a visa waiver agreement, marking a significant milestone in five decades of bilateral relations.

The agreement allows holders of diplomatic and service passports to travel between the two countries without visas.

The agreement was… pic.twitter.com/jyUUSCsyFE
— The1957News (@The1957News) June 1, 2026

In another development, Mr. Ablakwa recently announced a separate bilateral agreement between Ghana and Jamaica that will see about 400 Ghanaian nurses deployed to Jamaica to support healthcare delivery in the Caribbean country.

The agreement was reached following the revival of the Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation between the two countries after a 21-year break.

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