Reciprocal: Mali imposes $10,000 bonds on US tourists and business travelers

By: Chidozie Nwali

The Republic of Mali has formally announced a reciprocal visa program that will require U.S. citizens to post a $10000 US dollar bond when applying for tourist and business visas, directly mirroring a new measure recently imposed by the United States on Malian travelers. It’s foreign ministry said on Sunday.

According to a statement from the Malian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, “In accordance with the principle of reciprocity, Mali has decided to introduce an identical visa program, imposing the same conditions and requirements on US nationals as those applied to Malian citizens. It stated.

The Malian government’s decision is a direct response to the U.S. Department of State’s establishment of a one-year Pilot Visa Deposit Program. The U.S. measure, which Mali noted will be implemented on October 23, 2025, requires Malian nationals eligible for B-1 (business) and B-2 (tourist) visas to pay a refundable bond of either $5,000 or $10,000 USD to obtain their travel documents.

The US president tonald trump under his “America first” inniitiate has been very hard on immigration policies; deportating illegal immigrants, and using the U.S. bond system to  impose tough visa conditions to prospective US visa applicants mostly from developing economies.

He said the policies aims to  deter foreigners from overstaying and violating their visa policy.

However, Mali confirmed that its new visa program for U.S. passport holders will enforce the equivalent financial requirements, meaning American tourists and business visitors must now anticipate posting a refundable financial bond of up to $10,000 before their visa to Mali can be issued. The bond is intended to serve as a financial guarantee of the traveler’s timely departure.

The maximum validity period for new tourist and business visas issued to U.S. nationals is expected to be reduced from the current multi-year options to a single-entry visa valid for as little as three to six months.

Meanwhile, public data from the U.S. The Department of State’s annual report shows 2,320 visas (Business/Tourism) were issued to Malian citizens in 2023.

The bond requirement and shortened visa validity could deter many U.S. tourists and travel operators from visiting Mali, a country whose travel sector is already under pressure due to regional security concerns.

Mali has faced a decade of instability, with an increase in terrorist and violent extremist attacks across the central, northern, and even southern regions since the withdrawal of the UN peacekeeping mission (MINUSMA) at the end of 2023. Foreign Ministries strongly urge their  citizens to avoid all but essential travel to the landlocked west African nation due to “high risk of terrorism and kidnapping”.

The number of tourists plummeted by 95% almost immediately following the 2012 coup and subsequent Islamist insurgency, dropping from 200,000 in 2011 to 10,000 in 2012. In 2023 it recouped to 237,000 tourists; this time a shift from traditional tourist visits to business travel, diplomatic missions and NGO activities.

Other African nations have been affected by the U.S. visa bond and include Malawi, Zambia, The Gambia, Mauritania, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Tanzania, according to data from the U.S. State Department and regional reports.

This latest move from Bamako will add further strain on the  relationship with Washington which has  remained uneasy despite recent efforts at engagement. In July, U.S officials visited Mali to discuss counterterrorism cooperation and investment opportunities.