Immigration
ECOWAS free movement with visa on arrival for many other nationals
ECOWAS nationals enter visa-free for 90 days. Togo issues visas on arrival at Lomé airport for many nationalities, and a carte de séjour is required for stays beyond three months.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — The Direction Générale de la Documentation Nationale issues residence permits.
- Deadline — Carte de séjour: within three months of arrival
- Deadline — Visa on arrival: seven-day validity, extendable at the immigration directorate
Governing law
- Loi n° 87-12 fixant les conditions d'entrée et de séjour des étrangers
- ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement of Persons 1979
In practice
Togo's visa-on-arrival practice is a deliberate facilitation measure tied to Lomé's role as a regional air and port hub, and it operates alongside the ECOWAS Protocol rather than as part of it. The seven-day initial validity catches travellers unaware, since it must be converted at the immigration directorate in Lomé before expiry.