Entry into Ghana – these are the entry requirements

Located at the southern tip of West Africa, the country of Ghana is still uncharted territory for many visitors and guests. The humid-hot climate can overwhelm visitors, especially at the beginning of acclimatization. With an average temperature of around 28 degrees Celsius throughout the year and relatively little rainfall, such a country is often a real climatic challenge for us Northern Europeans. However, the culture shock can also be considerable if you have not yet been active on the African continent. There is a lot to consider.

It is important that you think about how you want to spend your time in Ghana before entering the country and plan accordingly. Because spontaneity in this country is only possible to a limited extent as a guest. The complexity of bureaucratic processes becomes clear when one has to deal with a visa or the entry requirements. Therefore, it is more sensible to use an experienced service provider like us to apply for visas for entry into Ghana. Whether you are traveling to this beautiful country for business, getting to know West Africa as a tourist, or being called in as an expert, we organize the appropriate visa for you.

On this page you will find all the important information about entry into Ghana, the prevailing regulations, the warnings of the Foreign Office, and of course also information about visas and visa issuance in Ghana. We are happy to help you and wish you much joy in the beautiful country in the west of the African continent in the future.

Visa requirements for Germans and EU citizens in African Ghana

According to the entry regulations for Ghana, German and European visitors, as well as nationals of most other countries, require visas to enter Ghana. This regulation applies regardless of the purpose of the trip and the duration of the stay. The entry visa must be obtained from a consular foreign representation of Ghana before the start of the trip.

There are no visas on arrival for air travelers.

Those traveling by car who wish to cross national borders can apply for a visa on-site. Visas must be valid at the time of departure. Exceeding the validity may result in sanctions such as fines and re-entry bans.

Visa extensions should be applied for in a timely manner at the Immigration Service in Accra. The same applies to so-called Re-Entry Visas, which travelers need in order to return to Ghana after trips to neighboring countries. It is advisable to plan for an extension of stay well in advance to allow sufficient buffer for the application process, which can take at least 14 days.

Visa-free entry – visa-free transit

Visa exemptions are exclusively available to the following groups:

- Residents of West African Economic Community ECOMOG states: Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo
- Citizens of Egypt, Kenya, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
- Holders of German or Cuban diplomatic passports or service passports
- Transit passengers during direct airport transit who possess valid onward travel tickets, do not leave the airport's waiting area, and continue their journey with the next connecting flight.

When entering the various countries of the African continent, you will be surprised how developed many countries already are. However, there are some dangers on site that are different from those in Europe. Therefore, it is important to secure yourself with the appropriate insurances against many of these dangers.

The most important element is a sufficiently good international health insurance. This should explicitly include Ghana and also offer quick services locally. Especially in the case of serious illnesses, a repatriation can become particularly important for the beneficiary and should always be included for this reason. This way, you are always well protected in case of health problems.

A similar case applies to travel accident insurance. Many of the liability insurances do not act in the case of a vacation or refuse cooperation. However, there are some insurers for travel accident insurance on the market that will also act for you in case of accidents and damages in Africa, and cover the costs. This significantly minimizes the individual risk and ensures a somewhat calmer and more relaxed stay in African Ghana.

Generally advisable is a travel cancellation insurance for trips to Africa. Because the trips are usually high-quality and can mostly only be canceled with significant deductions. Anyone who has a good travel cancellation insurance can withdraw from a trip without losses in case of illness or for other, narrowly defined reasons. In combination with this, we also recommend a luggage insurance. This becomes active when luggage is lost during the trip. Since expensive technology can usually be in the luggage, such insurance is particularly valuable and important.

Traveling to foreign countries and even to foreign continents is always associated with dangers and risks. Especially since diseases prevail in such places, which we as Northern Europeans practically only know from stories.

It is generally advisable to seek comprehensive advice from an experienced tropical medicine specialist before traveling. They can explain exactly which vaccinations and prophylaxes are important and advisable for a trip to Ghana. Because the route within Ghana can also become important in the selection of vaccinations. If you are traveling predominantly to the north of the country or visiting Ghana during the winter months, vaccination against meningococcal is highly recommended. However, if you travel more in the summer months and to the south of the country, you can often do without this vaccination.

Generally important and advisable are the following vaccinations:

• Vaccination against yellow fever (mandatory for entry)
• Vaccination against rabies
• Vaccination against Hepatitis A and B
• Polio vaccination
• Vaccination against diphtheria and tetanus
• Vaccination against typhoid

Malaria prophylaxis is always advisable and should be chosen according to the duration of the stay. Here, a consulting physician is particularly important. Generally, you should also consider that you need to protect yourself mainly from mosquitoes. A good insect repellent and a well-fitting mosquito net are almost more important than good malaria prophylaxis. Ideally, you should combine the various means to avoid diseases during your stay as much as possible.

In any case, remember to have good travel health insurance and travel insurance for emergencies. The entry to Ghana is only permitted to individuals with complete vaccination protection against Covid-19. Proof of vaccination is provided through the international vaccination certificate.

Not only singles or couples, but also families like to travel to the tranquil and educational country in West Africa. However, there are some points to consider to make the journey successful. For one, there is a different vaccination offer for children than for many adults. For this reason, you should definitely seek advice from an experienced tropical medicine specialist and have the necessary and recommended vaccinations carried out. The standard vaccinations appropriate for the age according to the vaccination schedule of the Robert Koch Institute should have been completed.

For many years, it was possible for children up to a certain age to be noted in the parents' passport and not require their own documents. However, this has not been the case for several years now. If you are planning the trip, you should not only take care of the visas and the corresponding forms, but also apply for a passport for yourself and your child. Children's passports are readily recognized by the authorities of the country. If you want to extend the visas both for yourself and your child during a stay on site, the Immigration Service in Accra is also responsible for this. Please think about this early, as the extension of children's visas is also associated with a processing period of about 14 days.

If you are entering the country by land with your child, you must apply for visas for all travelers on site at the border. These are usually issued quickly if all required and necessary documents are carried and presented. However, if a document is missing, entry can unfortunately also be prevented. Therefore, it is important to apply for visas in advance and in peace.

It is not always possible to leave your pet at home when you go on a trip. However, those who wish to travel to Africa with their dog must meet certain conditions. To import animals, an import permit from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture is necessary. To request this, you need several documents. First, a health certificate issued by a government veterinarian.

The dog must have an international vaccination passport and must have a valid rabies vaccination. The rabies vaccination must have taken place at least 30 days or at most 12 months before entering Ghana. In addition, a blood test result from the government veterinarian must also be submitted.

With all this data, the chances are good that you will get an import permit. We generally advise obtaining such a permit well in advance, as bureaucratic waiting times can also occur here. Entering with a dog by land is generally much more complicated and can even be impossible.

The country's customs regulations are rigorous and are closely monitored by local authorities. In light of this, it is important that you know exactly what items you can bring into the country and what you may take out.

Upon entry, you are allowed to bring a maximum of 375 ml of spirits and up to 750 ml of wine. This is not much, but both are also available for purchase in Ghana and can thus be easily acquired locally. The African country is much more relaxed about tobacco products. As a guest, you can bring up to 5 kg of tobacco products into the country. Foreign currencies are also important. If you bring currencies other than Ghanaian Cedis into the country and wish to take them out again after your trip, you must declare the money at customs. There, the amount and type of money are precisely documented. You will need this document again when leaving the country to be able to leave the country again with your money. This is intended to prevent smuggling and money laundering.

There are also restrictions on departure. You may only take out Ghanaian cash totaling a maximum of 5 GHC. This corresponds to approximately 31 Euro cents. If you have cash in another currency, you must be able to show the aforementioned documentation to be able to take it out.

Be careful with precious metals and antiques. These may only be exported with explicit permission from the local authorities. Such an export permit requires considerable effort and is nearly impossible for individuals to obtain. For this reason, you should be careful about what purchases you want to take out of the country.

Alternatively, you can also have your trip booked by an international travel agency. They can also organize flights to the smaller airports. However, this usually requires a bit more preparation time. If you can already define your tour and your travels in Ghana more precisely, this is one of the best solutions.

Due to the well-developed airport in Accra, the country has become a popular transit country within Africa. Transit is always spoken of when passengers fly to an airport in one country, board another plane there, and thus leave the country again without direct entry.

The Accra airport offers a separate transit area for these passengers. This area has the advantage that you do not have to fill out extensive forms or apply for visas during a transit. Because officially, you are not entering the country on which the airport stands during the transit. Therefore, the transit area is clearly separated from the other parts of the airport.

However, if there are delays or even cancellations of flights, this can become problematic. Because to get to a hotel from the transit area, for example, you need the respective Ghanaian visas.

Therefore, it is advisable for international transit travels to prepare your own hand luggage for such eventualities and thus always have the situation under control. Long waiting times in the transit area have a long tradition in many countries and are still common today.

For problems on site, but also for questions about the country, the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Accra, Ghana, is at your disposal. The postal address of the Embassy is:

Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, P.O. Box GP 1757, Accra, Ghana.

The Embassy can be reached by telephone at the following numbers:
- +233 30 221 10 00
- +233 30 224 10 82
- +233 30 222 13 11

However, visits to the Embassy are only possible by appointment. For security reasons, some points need to be considered. You must be able to identify yourself with a photo ID for the visit. You may not bring large bags into the Embassy and must leave your mobile phone at the reception.

All these, however, are not peculiarities but are now common practice when visiting an embassy in almost all countries.

In case of emergencies on site, the Embassy is always your best contact and should be contacted in any case.

Enjoy the wild nature on a safari in Mole National Park, home to more than 90 mammal species. Enjoy the unique atmosphere right on site.

A real eye-catcher are the Wli Waterfalls in the Volta Region. They are not only the highest waterfalls in Ghana but also the largest waterfalls in all of West Africa. A wonderful hike with a sporting challenge.

Culturally exciting are the visits to Cape Coast Castle and Fort Sao Jorge de Mina. The old fortifications are always worth a visit and document Ghana's history impressively.

If you want to travel to more than just one country in Africa, you should be prepared that you will need separate visas for almost every country. Often, the conditions for the individual visas differ significantly.

Take a look at the list of different countries for which we can assist you with visa issuance. Save time and energy and rely on our comprehensive service. This way, you can plan your trip in peace, while we take care of the needed visas.