In 2024, the Republic of Benin made history. The government launched My Afro Origins — a programme offering Beninese citizenship to people of African descent who can demonstrate slave trade ancestry. When singer Ciara received her Beninese citizenship and announced it to the world, the government’s website crashed under the weight of applications. In 2026, the programme is still open — and Benin’s commitment to welcoming the African diaspora home is reshaping how Black travellers from the UK, USA, Canada, and the Caribbean think about West Africa. See our full West Africa roots travel guide.

What Is the My Afro Origins Programme?

My Afro Origins is a Beninese government initiative that offers nationality to members of the African diaspora who are over 18, have sub-Saharan African ancestry, and can demonstrate a connection to the slave trade. Unlike Ghana’s Right of Abode programme (which grants residency rights without citizenship), My Afro Origins offers a full Beninese passport. Applications are done entirely online and cost $100 — making it one of the most accessible citizenship programmes on the continent. Applicants do not need to live in Benin to apply.

Why Benin? The Voodoo, Dahomey & Diaspora Connection

Benin is not just offering citizenship as a political gesture. It is inviting the diaspora to return to one of the most historically significant countries in all of West Africa. The port of Ouidah was one of the largest slave-trading centres on the African coast — hundreds of thousands of enslaved Africans were shipped from here to Haiti, Brazil, Cuba, and the American South, taking with them the Voodoo religion that still thrives across the diaspora today.

The Dahomey Kingdom — whose royal palaces in Abomey are a UNESCO World Heritage Site — was one of the most powerful kingdoms in pre-colonial West Africa. The famous Dahomey Amazons (Agojie), the all-female military regiment that became known worldwide through the film The Woman King, were the Dahomey royal guard. Walking through Abomey today is a direct encounter with this history.

Benin Citizenship: Who Qualifies?

  • People of African descent aged 18 or over
  • Proof of sub-Saharan African ancestry (DNA testing from AncestryDNA, 23andMe, or African Ancestry is accepted as supporting evidence)
  • Evidence of connection to the slave trade (genealogical records, DNA results showing West/Central African ancestry)
  • Application fee of $100 USD
  • No requirement to live in Benin

Applications are submitted online via the My Afro Origins platform. Processing times vary but the government has been actively processing applications since the programme launched.

Ghana Right of Abode vs Benin My Afro Origins

These are the two leading diaspora return programmes in West Africa, and they work differently:

  • Ghana Right of Abode: Grants the right to live and work in Ghana indefinitely without a permit. Does not grant citizenship or a Ghanaian passport. Apply through Ghana’s Diaspora Affairs Bureau. Note: Ghana temporarily paused applications in early 2026 — check current status before applying.
  • Benin My Afro Origins: Grants full Beninese citizenship and a Beninese passport. Fully online application. $100 fee. No residency requirement. Currently active.

Many diaspora members are exploring both programmes — Ghana for its cultural homecoming energy and residency programme, Benin for its citizenship offer.

Visiting Benin: What to Expect

A visit to Benin is one of West Africa’s most extraordinary travel experiences — and the ideal companion to applying for My Afro Origins citizenship. The key sites include:

  • Ouidah: The spiritual capital of Voodoo — National Voodoo Festival (January), Temple of Pythons, the Route of the Slaves, and the Door of No Return on the Atlantic coast
  • Abomey (UNESCO): Royal Palaces of the Dahomey Kingdom — the historical seat of the kingdom that the Agojie defended
  • Ganvie: The Venice of Africa — a stilt village built on Lake Nokoué by people who fled Dahomey slave raids by moving onto the water
  • Cotonou: Benin’s largest city — vibrant markets, contemporary energy, and the gateway to all of Benin’s major attractions
  • Pendjari National Park: One of West Africa’s best wildlife reserves — lions, elephants, hippos, and rare roan antelope

Combine Your My Afro Origins Journey with a West Africa Heritage Tour

Many diaspora visitors are combining their Benin citizenship journey with a broader West Africa heritage tour — visiting Goree Island in Senegal, Cape Coast Castle in Ghana, and Ouidah in Benin in a single multi-country trip that traces the full geography of the transatlantic slave trade. Royalland Tours can build a custom itinerary combining all three countries — see our 20-Day West Africa Cultural Odyssey.

Book Your Benin Heritage Tour with Royalland Tours

Royalland Tours offers expert-guided Benin tours and West Africa heritage tours for members of the African diaspora from the UK, USA, Canada, and Europe. Whether you are visiting Benin as part of your My Afro Origins citizenship journey or simply to experience one of West Africa’s most extraordinary cultural destinations, we have the itinerary for you.

Browse our Benin tours or contact us to plan your West Africa heritage journey.