Ghana visa and entry requirements

The Ghana Immigration Service's eVisa applicant guide distinguishes visa-free entry, which it lists for ECOWAS and AES nationals, from the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) and the eVisa, and says to use the official eligibility checker before applying. Its ETA guide says the ETA regime applies to nationals of all African Union member states, all ECOWAS member states and countries holding a current bilateral visa waiver agreement with Ghana, and that there is no fee to apply. The eVisa costs USD 260 with standard processing, and the immigration officer sets the stay on entry, up to 60 days; Ghana's diplomatic missions abroad also issue visas. The visa page of Ghana's embassy in Addis Ababa, in its archived copy of May 2026, says all visitors entering Ghana must have valid entry visas or, in the case of Commonwealth nationals, entry permits, issued by a Ghana diplomatic mission or consulate abroad or any other visa issuing authority mandated by the Ghana Government, and that ECOWAS nationals and those of other countries with which the Government of Ghana has specific bilateral agreements are exempted.

Every fact on this page verified on or after: Oct 2, 2026· How this site works

Check requirements for your passport

Requirements differ by nationality. Select your passport above, or scan the full table below.

Visas & entry authorisations

Tourist Visa (B2), eVisa

Fee
260 USD
Processing
—
Validity
90 days
Stay per entry
60 days
Entries
single

The portal lists USD 260 for Standard processing (within 96 hours), USD 338 for Priority (within 48 hours) and USD 442 for Express (within 5 hours), and says the fee is a standard flat rate not based on nationality.

Documents the application asks for

  • Passport — Valid for at least 6 months from the date you leave Ghana, with at least 3 blank pages.
  • Passport photo — Recent colour photo, about 3.5 × 4.5 cm, on a plain light or white background, no more than 6 months old.
  • Return or onward ticket — Confirmed.
  • Proof of accommodation — A booking that covers the whole stay; when staying with a host, the host documents instead.
  • Proof of funds — A bank or credit card statement covering the last 3 months.
  • Host invitation letter — When staying with a host: a formal signed letter with the host's Ghana Card or passport biodata page, and the Ghana Residence Permit of a non-Ghanaian host.

Business Visa (B1), eVisa

Fee
260 USD
Processing
—
Validity
90 days
Stay per entry
60 days
Entries
single

The portal lists USD 260 for Standard processing (within 96 hours), USD 338 for Priority (within 48 hours) and USD 442 for Express (within 5 hours), and says the fee is a standard flat rate not based on nationality.

Documents the application asks for

  • Passport — Valid for at least 6 months from the date you leave Ghana, with at least 3 blank pages.
  • Passport photo — Recent colour photo, about 3.5 × 4.5 cm, on a plain light or white background, no more than 6 months old.
  • Business invitation letter — From the host company, stating the purpose of the trip, signed.
  • Signatory's identification — Ghana Card or passport biodata page of the person who signed the letter; a Residence Permit too if the signatory is a non-Ghanaian resident.
  • Company registration documents — Certified.
  • Tax Clearance Certificate — Of the company.
  • Return or onward ticket — Confirmed.
  • Proof of accommodation — Or the host documents when staying with a host.

Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA)

Fee
Free
Processing
—
Stay per entry
90 days

Free: the ETA Applicant Guide says there is no fee to apply. It says the ETA regime applies to nationals of all African Union member states, all ECOWAS member states and countries holding a current bilateral visa waiver agreement with Ghana.

Documents the application asks for

  • Passport photo — Recent colour photo taken within the last 6 months, about 3.5 × 4.5 cm.
  • Passport biodata page — A clear, unedited scan or photo of the whole page, showing the photo, name, passport number and validity dates.

Single Entry Visa

Fee
60 USD
Processing
—
Entries
single

The Embassy of Ghana in Washington lists USD 60 for a single-entry visa (USD 100 expedited) and USD 100 for a multiple-entry visa (USD 200 expedited), and says merchant fees are added when paying with a debit or credit card.

Emergency Entry Visa (visa on arrival)

Fee
200 USD
Processing
—

The Ghana Immigration Service's fees table lists USD 200 for an EEV permit or emergency visa. It says the application is a letter addressed to the Comptroller-General of Immigration stating the country the person is coming from, the date of arrival, the duration of stay, the purpose of visit, the travel itinerary and the place of lodging, with attached documents that include the bio data pages of the host and of the guest.

Entry requirements

Passport validity

Ghana's eVisa applicant guide says the passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the applicant's intended date of departure from Ghana and must have at least 3 blank pages.

At least 3 blank pages required. Compare every country

Vaccinations

Required
  • Yellow fever (International Certificate of Vaccination (yellow card)) — A valid yellow fever vaccination certificate or card is required for entry into Ghana and may be checked at the port of entry. Travellers without it may be referred to airport health officials for the applicable health procedure, including vaccination where necessary.

Travel insurance

Not officially stated

No official source we could read states a travel-insurance requirement for Ghana.

Onward or return ticket

Required

Ghana's eVisa applicant guide lists a confirmed return or onward travel ticket among the requirements for Tourist (B2) and Business (B1) visas, and requires proof of accommodation covering the full duration of the intended stay.

Proof of funds

Required

Ghana's eVisa applicant guide lists proof of sufficient funds, such as a bank statement or credit card statement covering the last 3 months, among the Tourist Visa (B2) requirements. No official source we could read states a minimum amount.

Staying past your permitted stay

Fine: 300 GHS per month

The Ghana Immigration Service charges a penalty for an expired visitor's permit of GH¢300.00 per month for most nationals, GH¢200.00 for ECOWAS nationals and GH¢52.00 for Ghanaians holding a foreign passport. Extending a visitor's permit costs GH¢65.00, GH¢39.00 or GH¢26.00 per month for the same groups.

Other compulsory government charges

  • Airport tax — Within West Africa USD 60; outside West Africa USD 100 economy, USD 150 business, USD 200 first class.

    Under the Airport Tax Act, 1963 (Act 209) as amended, a passenger departing from an airport in Ghana pays airport tax by destination and class. The Ministry of Finance's 2025 tax revenue report gives the same rates and says airline companies are responsible for ensuring that the tax is paid to Ghana Airports Company Limited.

    Exemptions: Children under two and passengers in transit staying less than twenty-four hours in Ghana, among others listed in the Act.

Customs & currency

The UK government says you must declare all hard currency using the declaration form provided on arrival, that you can bring in up to a maximum Ghanaian cedi equivalent of USD 10,000, and that you should not carry more than USD 10,000 in value in any foreign currency; it says the Ghanaian authorities can confiscate the entire amount if you are carrying cash of this value or more.

Verified Oct 2, 2026 · Source: gov.uk (opens in a new tab)

Yellow fever certificate

A valid yellow fever vaccination certificate or card is required for entry into Ghana and may be checked at the port of entry. Travellers without it may be referred to airport health officials for the applicable health procedure, including vaccination where necessary.

Compiled Aug 26, 2026 · Source: cdn.who.int (opens in a new tab) · International Health Regulations (2005), Article 36

International Health Regulations (2005), Article 36 and Annex 7; WHO International Travel and Health, Annex 1, 18 November 2022 (revised 3 January 2023)

Country in a nutshell

Currency
Ghanaian cedi (GHS, ₵)
Safety — Exercise caution
The UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to the Bawku Municipal area in the Upper East region, and says several terrorist groups operate in neighbouring Burkina Faso near Ghana's northern border.Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: gov.uk (opens in a new tab) · archived copy Jul 1, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
Power plugs
D, G · 230V 50Hz
Emergency numbers
General emergencies: 112
Languages
English
Time zone
UTC+0
International Driving Permit

Ghana is a party to the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic (UN Treaty Collection). The UK government says you can drive in Ghana using the 1949 version of the international driving permit (IDP) or a Ghanaian driving licence. Canada's travel advice tells Canadians they must carry an international driving permit, which they can use for up to 12 months, after which they will need to obtain a Ghanaian licence.

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: treaties.un.org (opens in a new tab) · Convention on Road Traffic Compare every country
Tap water
not for drinking. Use bottled

Best time to visit

Canada's travel advice gives Ghana's rainy season as March to November, and says the dusty harmattan wind blows in from the Sahara from December to March and can disrupt travel.

Tips & warnings

The Ghana Immigration Service's ETA Applicant Guide says the ETA regime applies to nationals of all African Union member states, all ECOWAS member states and countries holding a current bilateral visa waiver agreement with Ghana, and that the ETA is free.

The Ghana Immigration Service says to use the official eligibility checker before starting an application: its eVisa process distinguishes between visa-free entry, ETA eligibility and eVisa requirements, and eligibility depends on nationality, passport type and applicable government policy.

The Ghana Immigration Service tells eVisa travellers to carry the required yellow fever vaccination certificate or card. It says the certificate is required for entry and may be checked at the port of entry, and that travellers without it may be referred to airport health officials for the applicable health procedure, including vaccination where necessary.

Visa requirements by nationality

Visa requirements by nationality. Stay lengths are for ordinary tourist visits. Click a nationality for its full guide.
PassportsVisas & entry authorisationsMax stay
AfghanistaneVisa—
AlbaniaeVisa—
AlgeriaETA90 days
AndorraeVisa—
AngolaETA90 days
ArgentinaeVisa—
ArmeniaeVisa—
AustraliaeVisa60 days
AustriaeVisa—
AzerbaijaneVisa—
BahraineVisa—
BelaruseVisa—
BelgiumeVisa—
BeninFree movement—
BhutaneVisa—
BoliviaeVisa—
Bosnia and HerzegovinaeVisa—
BotswanaETA90 days
BrazileVisa—
BulgariaeVisa—
Burkina FasoVisa-free—
BurundiETA90 days
Cabo VerdeFree movement—
CambodiaeVisa—
CameroonETA90 days
CanadaeVisa60 days
Central African RepublicETA90 days
ChadETA90 days
ChileeVisa—
ChinaeVisa—
ColombiaeVisa—
ComorosETA90 days
Costa RicaeVisa—
Côte d'IvoireFree movement—
CroatiaeVisa—
CubaeVisa—
CzechiaeVisa—
Democratic Republic of the CongoETA90 days
DenmarkeVisa—
DjiboutiETA90 days
Dominican RepubliceVisa—
EcuadoreVisa—
EgyptETA90 days
El SalvadoreVisa—
Equatorial GuineaETA90 days
EritreaETA90 days
EstoniaeVisa—
EswatiniETA90 days
EthiopiaETA90 days
FinlandeVisa—
FranceeVisa—
GabonETA90 days
GambiaFree movement—
GeorgiaeVisa—
GermanyeVisa—
GhanaFree movement—
GreeceeVisa—
GuatemalaeVisa—
GuineaFree movement—
Guinea-BissauFree movement—
HaitieVisa—
HonduraseVisa—
Hong KongeVisa—
HungaryeVisa—
IcelandeVisa—
IndonesiaeVisa—
IraneVisa—
IraqeVisa—
IrelandeVisa—
IsraeleVisa—
ItalyeVisa—
JapaneVisa—
JordaneVisa—
KazakhstaneVisa—
KenyaETA90 days
KosovoEmbassy visa—
KuwaiteVisa—
KyrgyzstaneVisa—
LaoseVisa—
LatviaeVisa—
LebanoneVisa—
LesothoETA90 days
LiberiaFree movement—
LibyaETA90 days
LiechtensteineVisa—
LithuaniaeVisa—
LuxembourgeVisa—
MacaueVisa—
MadagascarETA90 days
MalawiETA90 days
MaliVisa-free—
Marshall IslandseVisa—
MauritaniaETA90 days
MauritiusETA90 days
MexicoeVisa—
MicronesiaeVisa—
MoldovaeVisa—
MonacoeVisa—
MongoliaeVisa—
MontenegroeVisa—
MoroccoETA90 days
MozambiqueETA90 days
MyanmareVisa—
NamibiaETA90 days
NepaleVisa—
NetherlandseVisa—
NicaraguaeVisa—
NigerVisa-free—
NigeriaFree movement—
North KoreaeVisa—
North MacedoniaeVisa—
NorwayeVisa—
OmaneVisa—
PalaueVisa—
PalestineeVisa—
PanamaeVisa—
ParaguayeVisa—
PerueVisa—
PhilippineseVisa—
PolandeVisa—
PortugaleVisa—
QatareVisa—
Republic of the CongoETA90 days
RomaniaeVisa—
RussiaeVisa—
RwandaETA90 days
San MarinoeVisa—
São Tomé and PríncipeETA90 days
Saudi ArabiaeVisa—
SenegalFree movement—
SeychellesETA90 days
Sierra LeoneFree movement—
SingaporeVisa-free60 days
SlovakiaeVisa—
SloveniaeVisa—
SomaliaETA90 days
South AfricaETA90 days
South KoreaeVisa—
South SudanETA90 days
SpaineVisa—
SudanETA90 days
SurinameeVisa—
SwedeneVisa—
SwitzerlandeVisa—
SyriaeVisa—
TaiwaneVisa—
TajikistaneVisa—
TanzaniaETA90 days
ThailandeVisa—
Timor-LesteeVisa—
TogoFree movement—
Trinidad and TobagoVisa-free60 days
TunisiaETA90 days
TurkeyeVisa—
TurkmenistaneVisa—
UgandaETA90 days
UkraineeVisa—
United Arab EmirateseVisa—
United KingdomeVisa60 days
United StateseVisa—
UruguayeVisa—
UzbekistaneVisa—
Vatican CityeVisa—
VenezuelaeVisa—
VietnameVisa—
YemeneVisa—
ZambiaETA90 days
ZimbabweETA90 days

Stay lengths are for ordinary tourist visits. Click a nationality for its full guide.

No official page we read states the rule for 31 nationalities, so the table leaves them out: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Brunei, Cyprus, Dominica, Fiji, Grenada, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Kiribati, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Nauru, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Serbia, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

Côte d'Ivoire24 of 199 passports visa-free · 175 eVisa/ETABurkina Faso13 of 199 passports visa-free · 173 eVisa/ETATogo54 of 199 passports visa-free · 142 eVisa/ETANigeria15 of 199 passports visa-free · 182 eVisa/ETASenegal61 of 199 passports visa-free

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa for Ghana?

It depends on your passport. The Ghana Immigration Service's eVisa applicant guide distinguishes visa-free entry, which it lists for ECOWAS and AES nationals, from the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) and the eVisa, and says to use the official eligibility checker before applying. Its ETA guide says the ETA regime applies to nationals of all African Union member states, all ECOWAS member states and countries holding a current bilateral visa waiver agreement with Ghana, and that there is no fee to apply. The eVisa costs USD 260 with standard processing, and the immigration officer sets the stay on entry, up to 60 days; Ghana's diplomatic missions abroad also issue visas. The visa page of Ghana's embassy in Addis Ababa, in its archived copy of May 2026, says all visitors entering Ghana must have valid entry visas or, in the case of Commonwealth nationals, entry permits, issued by a Ghana diplomatic mission or consulate abroad or any other visa issuing authority mandated by the Ghana Government, and that ECOWAS nationals and those of other countries with which the Government of Ghana has specific bilateral agreements are exempted. The UK government says British citizens must have a visa to visit Ghana, and Canada's travel advice says a tourist visa is required for Canadians.

Do US citizens need a visa for Ghana?

The visa page of Ghana's embassy in Addis Ababa, in its archived copy of May 2026, says all visitors entering Ghana must have valid entry visas or, in the case of Commonwealth nationals, entry permits, issued by a Ghana diplomatic mission or consulate abroad or any other visa issuing authority mandated by the Ghana Government, and that ECOWAS nationals and those of other countries with which the Government of Ghana has specific bilateral agreements are exempted. Ghana's eVisa portal gives the result for each nationality in its eligibility checker. For travellers who need one, the Ghana eVisa costs USD 260 with standard processing within 96 hours; Ghana currently issues single-entry eVisas only, valid for 90 days from the date of issue, and the immigration officer at the port of entry determines the stay, up to 60 days. The Embassy of Ghana in Washington lists USD 60 for a single-entry visa (USD 100 expedited).

Is Ghana visa-free for African passport holders?

Ghana's eVisa applicant guide lists ECOWAS and AES nationals under visa-free entry, subject to applicable entry conditions. Its ETA Applicant Guide says the ETA regime applies to nationals of all African Union member states, all ECOWAS member states and countries holding a current bilateral visa waiver agreement with Ghana; the ETA is obtained before travelling to Ghana, there is no fee to apply, and the maximum permitted stay under it is 90 days from the date of entry.

Can I get a visa on arrival in Ghana?

The Ghana Immigration Service says that where a person appears before an immigration officer without a visa, an Emergency Entry Visa (EEV) or Visa on Arrival may be granted, subject to conditions prescribed in the Regulations and to other conditions the officer may impose. Its fees table lists USD 200 for an EEV permit or emergency visa. The application is a letter addressed to the Comptroller-General of Immigration, with attached documents that include the bio data pages of the host and of the guest.

Do I need a yellow fever vaccination for Ghana?

Yes. The Ghana Immigration Service says a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate or card is required for entry into Ghana and may be checked at the port of entry.

Sources & verification

Every fact on this page is compiled from and periodically re-checked against these official sources:

Something wrong or out of date? Tell us, with the official source