As African leaders gather for the 38th African Union (AU) Summit, in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, calls for a visa-free continent have taken the centre stage. The African Union Centre and the African Development Bank (AfDB) have jointly urged African governments to accelerate the removal of visa restrictions that continue to hinder regional integration, trade, and economic development.

Speaking at the High-Level Strategic Dialogue on Accelerating Visa-Free Movement for Africa’s Transformation, as part of the preparatory meetings for the summit, AU officials, policymakers and business leaders highlighted the contradiction between Africa’s regional integration goals and the reality that many Africans still need visas to travel across the continent.

“We cannot talk about a united Africa if Africans themselves cannot move freely within their own continent. It is time for our governments to evaluate what has worked and what has not worked,” says Ambassador Albert Mudenda Muchanga, African Union Commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals. Visa restrictions remain one of the biggest barriers to intra-African travel and trade, he adds.

The Africa Visa Openness Index, a joint initiative by AfDB and the AUC, has consistently shown slow progress in easing travel restrictions, despite policy frameworks like the AU Free Movement Protocol and Agenda 2063’s vision of a borderless Africa. The ninth edition of the Index reveals that while some countries, such as Rwanda, The Gambia, Seychelles, Benin, and Ghana, have embraced visa-free policies, many others remain restrictive.

“The vision of an integrated Africa will not happen by chance. It requires bold leadership and collective commitment to dismantle visa barriers,” says Nnenna Nwabufo, Vice President for Regional Development, Integration, and Business Delivery at AfDB.

With over 50 pc of African nations requiring visas for most Africans, restricted mobility hampers not only tourism, but also labour migration, business and trade, skills, and innovation, slowing development.

“If we truly believe in the AfCFTA, then free movement must be the backbone of our integration. We must align trade facilitation with mobility, because goods do not move themselves, people move them,” says Prudence Sebahizi, Minister of Trade and Industry of Rwanda.

With momentum building for change, the AU and AfDB have announced the launch of the 2025 Visa-Free Roadshow, a campaign designed to engage policymakers, businesses, and civil society in accelerating visa liberalisation efforts across the continent. The initiative aims to showcase success stories, highlight economic benefits, and push for political commitments to break down travel barriers.

As the AU Summit progresses, the push for visa-free movement is expected to remain a critical topic, with leaders being reminded to align policy commitments with concrete action.