The Republic of the Congo is working on two new entry procedures for international travelers: an electronic visa (e-Visa) and an electronic travel authorization (ETA).
On its official website, under the e-services section, the Ministry of the Interior and Decentralization lists both services as “Coming soon,” without specifying a launch date.
However, development may be further along than that brief announcement suggests.
VisasNews has identified what appears to be a testing or pre-production environment for the government’s website, where the first details of these upcoming entry procedures are already available.
Accessible at testlink.midcongo.com, the platform shares the official ministry website’s branding, main navigation sections, and overall layout. It also features detailed information about the e-Visa and ETA systems, along with tools allowing travelers to check eligibility requirements based on their nationality and purpose of travel.
Although the platform’s exact status has yet to be officially confirmed, its contents provide an early glimpse of two separate procedures: an e-Visa for travelers who require a visa and an ETA that could apply to African nationals benefiting from the visa exemption scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027.
Republic of the Congo moves ahead with plans for an electronic visa
Years in the making, the Republic of the Congo’s electronic visa could allow foreign nationals who require a visa to complete the entire application process online.
The initiative is not new. As early as November 2019, Congolese authorities presented a proposed electronic tourist visa system, developed under the leadership of the Ministry of Tourism and Environment in partnership with the World Bank.
Several years later, the e-Visa test platform suggests a much broader system covering a wide range of travel purposes.
Travelers could submit applications online, upload supporting documents, pay the applicable fees, and track their application’s progress through a personal account.
Once approved, the electronic visa would be available for download and would include a unique identification number and a code allowing its authenticity to be verified.
Eight electronic visa categories under consideration
The test portal currently lists eight visa categories, each with a maximum permitted length of stay:
| Electronic visa category | Maximum length of stay |
|---|---|
| Tourist visa | 90 days |
| Business visa | 90 days |
| Transit visa | 7 days |
| Work visa | 365 days |
| Student visa | 365 days |
| Family visit visa | 90 days |
| Medical treatment visa | 90 days |
| Official mission visa | 90 days |
These durations reflect the information currently displayed on the test platform and will need to be confirmed when the final rules are published.
The portal also includes an eligibility checker. When the United States is selected as the applicant’s nationality, the system indicates that U.S. citizens are “eligible for an electronic visa” and that a visa is required to enter the Republic of the Congo.
How much will the Republic of the Congo’s e-Visa cost?
So far, only one visa option has a published fee on the platform: a 30-day, single-entry tourist visa priced at 17,000 Central African CFA francs (approximately $30).
The portal therefore distinguishes between the tourist visa category’s maximum stay of up to 90 days and this initial 30-day tourist visa option.
For the other seven visa categories, the platform states that fees have yet to be published.
The tourist visa fee currently displayed should also be considered provisional, as Congolese authorities have not yet announced a finalized fee schedule for the upcoming e-Visa system.
What documents will be required for an e-Visa application?
The platform’s eligibility checker already provides a list of supporting documents based on the applicant’s nationality and purpose of travel.
When the United States is selected as the applicant’s nationality, the eligibility checker lists four standard supporting documents across the different visa categories:
- Passport: A copy of the passport’s biographical information page. The passport must remain valid for at least six months beyond the intended date of entry.
- Passport-style photograph: A recent photograph against a light-colored background, with the applicant’s face clearly visible and no headwear.
- Round-trip ticket or travel itinerary: Proof of a confirmed travel reservation.
- Proof of accommodation: A hotel reservation or accommodation certificate.
Additional documents are listed depending on the visa category:
| Visa category | Additional documents listed |
|---|---|
| Tourism | No additional documents specified |
| Business | Invitation letter from a company in the Republic of the Congo; business registration document from the host company (optional) |
| Transit | Visa for the final destination country |
| Work | Employment contract and work authorization |
| Studies | Proof of enrollment and evidence of financial support |
| Family visit | Accommodation certificate issued by the family member residing in the Republic of the Congo |
| Medical treatment | Medical appointment or referral letter |
| Official mission | Note verbale issued by the relevant institution or diplomatic mission |
Documents would need to be submitted electronically. The platform currently accepts supporting files in PDF, JPG, and PNG formats, with a maximum file size of 5 MB per document. Passport-style photographs must be uploaded in JPG or PNG format.
The proposed application process consists of eight steps, beginning with visa selection and personal information, followed by document uploads, payment, and final submission.
These preliminary requirements may still change before the system officially launches.
Could african travelers need an ETA starting in 2027?
The second system under development could be directly linked to one of the country’s most significant immigration policy changes announced this year.
As VisasNews reported on May 26, President Denis Sassou N’Guesso announced that the Republic of the Congo would eliminate visa requirements for citizens of African countries starting January 1, 2027.
That initiative took another step forward during a Cabinet meeting on October 14, 2026, when the government approved a draft law amending the country’s legislation governing the entry, stay, and departure of foreign nationals.
The bill, which must now be submitted to Parliament, aims to formally establish the visa exemption in Congolese law while introducing provisions designed to address irregular immigration and risks associated with cross-border crime.
Against this backdrop, the development of an electronic travel authorization for visa-exempt foreign nationals takes on particular significance.
According to the page dedicated to the proposed Congolese ETA, the system is designed as a pre-travel authorization linked to the applicant’s passport and intended for foreign nationals who are exempt from visa requirements.
This suggests that African citizens who become eligible for visa-free entry in January 2027 could be covered by the new electronic authorization system.
However, the official Cabinet meeting report does not explicitly mention an ETA, and the platform states that the list of eligible nationalities has yet to be published. Whether African travelers will be required to obtain this authorization therefore remains to be officially confirmed.
A two-year ETA allowing stays of up to 90 days?
The test environment provides several details about how the future electronic travel authorization system could operate.
According to the information currently displayed, the Congolese ETA could have the following features:
- Authorization validity: 24 months.
- Maximum stay: 90 days per entry.
- Expected processing time: Within three days.
- Passport-linked authorization: The ETA would be associated with the passport used for the application.
- Secure document: A unique identification number and QR code for online verification.
- Pre-travel screening: Applications would be reviewed by an officer before travel.
An approved ETA would not automatically guarantee entry into the Republic of the Congo, as the final decision would remain with border authorities.
The portal also outlines a six-step application process: selecting the applicant’s nationality and purpose of travel, entering personal information, providing passport details, specifying travel plans and the intended entry point, completing security declarations, and submitting the application.
The fee for the proposed ETA has not yet been disclosed. The platform indicates that a fee schedule will be published later, along with the list of required supporting documents.
It therefore remains unclear whether the authorization will be free or subject to a fee, which nationalities will be eligible, and whether certain categories of travelers will be exempt.
Potential entry points already listed on the platform
The e-Visa and ETA pages also identify several potential entry points into the Republic of the Congo.
Four airports are currently listed:
- Maya-Maya International Airport in Brazzaville;
- Antonio Agostinho-Neto International Airport in Pointe-Noire;
- Denis Sassou N’Guesso International Airport in Ollombo;
- Ouesso Airport.
Two additional entry points are mentioned: the Port of Pointe-Noire and the Brazzaville Beach ferry terminal, the main river crossing connecting the two Congolese capitals.
This list provides an initial indication of which ports of entry could be supported by the future application systems. However, it does not yet constitute official confirmation that every listed entry point will be available for all visa or travel authorization categories.
No confirmed launch date yet for Congo’s e-Visa and ETA
The inclusion of both the e-Visa and ETA on the Ministry of the Interior’s official website confirms that the two services are among the digital procedures currently being prepared.
Meanwhile, the information available on the test platform suggests that a fairly comprehensive system is taking shape, with visa categories, eligibility criteria, application procedures, and several technical features already outlined.
What remains unclear is when the two systems will actually launch, as well as which requirements Congolese authorities will ultimately adopt.
For now, January 1, 2027, is the announced effective date of the visa exemption for African nationals, not an officially confirmed launch date for either the e-Visa or the ETA.
Together, these developments could represent a significant change in how the Republic of the Congo manages entry requirements and facilitates international travel.
VisasNews Take
The discovery of this development platform offers fresh insight into the Republic of the Congo’s plans to digitize its visa procedures. While the Ministry of the Interior has confirmed that both an e-Visa and an ETA are in the works, the detailed requirements displayed on the test platform have yet to receive official confirmation. For African travelers, the key question is whether the visa exemption scheduled for January 2027 will come with a mandatory electronic travel authorization. For other nationalities, the future e-Visa could make a significant difference by simplifying a consular application process that remains relatively cumbersome.
