Mali retaliates with $10,000 visa bond for US travellers in tit-for-tat move

Mali has fired back at Washington by imposing a $10,000 visa bond requirement on American visitors, matching a similar rule the United States recently introduced for Malians, a move that underscores escalating diplomatic friction between the two countries.

The announcement, made on Sunday by Mali’s Foreign Ministry, marks a sharp response to the Trump administration’s recent decision to demand hefty visa bonds from nationals of several African countries, including Mali.

Under the new policy, US citizens applying for business or tourist visas to Mali will be required to post a refundable bond, the same range of $5,000 to $10,000 now demanded of Malian visitors to the United States.

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The move, Mali said, was based on “the principle of reciprocity” and came after Washington’s decision to implement its own programme “without consultation.”

“Mali has always collaborated with the United States of America in the fight against irregular immigration, with respect for law and human dignity,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“However, in light of recent unilateral measures, Mali has decided to establish an identical visa programme for American citizens.”

A diplomatic tit-for-tat

The United States Embassy in Bamako confirmed the new fees, saying they were part of efforts to “protect America’s borders and safeguard national security.”

Washington’s pilot scheme, which began in late October, targets countries with what it calls “high visa overstay rates.” It requires travellers from Mali and six other African nations,Mauritania, São Tomé and Príncipe, Tanzania, Gambia, Malawi, and Zambia, to pay large bonds before entering the US.

The bonds are paid in advance through a US Treasury Department portal and are refunded if visitors leave the country before their authorised stay expires. Those who overstay or seek asylum forfeit the amount.

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Consular officers decide the bond amount for each traveller, on top of standard visa fees of $185. Travellers are also restricted to entering and exiting through just three designated US airports.

Critics have warned the policy could discourage legitimate travel and harm the US tourism sector, particularly ahead of major global events such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The visa row has unfolded despite recent attempts to mend relations between Bamako and Washington. In July, US officials visited Mali to discuss counterterrorism cooperation and potential American investment in the country’s gold and lithium industries.

Relations have been uneasy since 2021, when General Assimi Goïta seized power in a military coup and shifted Mali’s alliances from France and the West toward Russia. French troops were expelled, and Russian paramilitary forces, initially from the Wagner group and later under the Kremlin’s Africa Corps, were brought in to help combat jihadist insurgents.

Mali now accuses the US of breaching a 2005 bilateral accord that guaranteed long-term visa access for citizens of both nations.

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“The United States has violated the spirit of our cooperation agreement,” a senior Malian diplomat said privately. “We are simply applying the same treatment to American citizens that Malian citizens now face.”

The dispute underscores the Trump administration’s increasingly hard-line approach to immigration, which has extended to Africa as it seeks to expand deportation partnerships and tighten entry rules.

Burkina Faso’s government last week refused a US proposal to accept deported migrants, prompting Washington to suspend all visa services at its embassy in Ouagadougou. South Sudan briefly faced similar sanctions earlier this year after rejecting deportees from other continents.

US officials argue the bond policy deters overstays and reinforces border control, citing Homeland Security data showing that more than 300,000 foreign visitors on business or tourist visas failed to leave on time in 2023.

Mali, however, says it remains open to “fruitful cooperative relations” with Washington — but insists on equal treatment for its citizens.