The Republic of Togo announced the completion and launch of its electronic visa issuance system (e-Visa), Or Togo VOYAGE, becoming the first country in the world to fully integrate under a single platform, its immigration and online visa application processes with its policies related to Covid-19, significantly facilitating the application process for future visitors.
The fully electronic website thus marks an important milestone in the Digital Strategy 2025 of the government of that country, and where this innovative homemade solution aims to simplify and streamline the entire visa process for travelers.
The new technology system will allow passengers to complete the application process (including application submission, payment and e-Visa withdrawal) electronically without the need to visit an immigration office or embassy in person.
The Togo VOYAGE platform will also allow travelers entering and leaving the country to complete all necessary health formalities to ensure a safe journey, including paying for PCR tests for unvaccinated travelers, which are mandatory upon departure and arrival in Togo.
The new intuitive platform, which is currently available in French and English, offers many features such as a “Visa Wizard” which allows incoming travelers to quickly determine if they need a visa to travel to Togo.
It further allows travelers to update their information by creating a personal account, consequently saving their personal information such as names, contact details, passport numbers etc. to avoid replenishing all their information for every trip they organize.
The Togo VOYAGE platform and its support mechanism is only deployed at air borders, but it has been revealed that the government plans to extend it to land and sea borders throughout the year 2022.
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The project is carried out by the Togo Digital Agency (Agence Togo Digital, ATD), which has been designated as a “catalyst for digital transformation in public administration" in the country.
The Togolese government has committed to digitizing all public services by 2025 in an effort to improve the ease of doing business for local and international investors, as well as provide efficient government services to its citizens.
The West African nation has proven to be an innovator in the field of digitization on the continent, with the recent announcement of a series of measures putting digitization at the forefront of Togolese business and administration.
In March, the Togolese government partnered with Google to connect the country to the new Equiano submarine internet cable, to establish the country as a vital service and logistics hub in West Africa.
Togo also hosted a major international conference on cybersecurity in Africa in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).
