Ghana
Ghana visa guide: visits, eVisa, permits, residence and asylum
- 14 visa types
- checked 24 October 2026
How visas for Ghana work
Entry to Ghana is regulated by the Immigration Act, 2000 (Act 573) and administered by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), which sits under the Ministry of the Interior. GIS separates visas issued abroad, by Ghana's diplomatic missions, from visas and permits issued inside Ghana: transit visas, emergency entry visas (also called visa on arrival), re-entry visas, extensions of the visitor's permit and the various residence and work permits. A visa only authorises you to present yourself at the border; the immigration officer decides on admission and on the length of stay, which for non-ECOWAS visitors is normally up to 60 days.
Since May 2026 short visits can also be arranged online through the Ghana eVisa portal run by GIS and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It sorts travellers into three routes: visa-free (ECOWAS and AES states), a free Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for nationals of African Union states, ECOWAS states and countries with a bilateral visa waiver, and a paid single-entry eVisa for tourism (B2) or business (B1) at a flat USD 260 for standard 96-hour processing. Ghana's 56 diplomatic missions abroad keep issuing visas for single or multiple journeys, valid from six months to five years, at fees each mission sets.
Long stays require a residence permit from GIS in Accra or a regional command. Employees need a work and residence permit, students a student residence permit, and family members a dependant's permit. Fees follow the schedule in L.I. 2512, published by GIS in July 2026: for example USD 1,293 for a company work and residence permit and GHS 259 for a student permit for nationals outside ECOWAS. After about five years of residence a foreign national can apply for indefinite residence status, and people of African descent in the diaspora and former Ghanaians can apply for the Right of Abode.
Every traveller to Ghana must carry a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate, which is checked at the port of entry. Asylum seekers apply inside Ghana to the Ghana Refugee Board, through an immigration officer, a police officer or UNHCR, within 14 days of arrival under the Refugee Law, 1992.
Which visa do I need?
Holiday or visiting friends: visitor (tourist) visa from the Ghana mission responsible for your place of residence, or a B2 eVisa if the eligibility checker offers one.
Meetings, conferences or other short business trips: business visa from the embassy or a B1 eVisa.
African Union, ECOWAS or visa-waiver nationality: check the eVisa portal; most such travellers need a free ETA or nothing at all.
Urgent trip with a host in Ghana and no time for the embassy: emergency entry visa (visa on arrival), approved before you fly.
Changing flights in Accra and collecting your luggage: transit visa valid 48 hours.
Studying at a Ghanaian school or university: student residence permit after arrival.
Employment with a Ghanaian company or organisation: work and residence permit; GIPA-registered investors use the automatic immigrant quota.
Joining a family member who holds a permit: dependant residence permit; long-term settlement: indefinite residence status or Right of Abode.
Visa types for Ghana
Visits and short stays
- Tourist visa Visitor's (tourist) visa issued by Ghana's missions, with visitor's permit extension
Travellers who are not visa-exempt and visit Ghana for tourism or to see friends need a visitor's visa.
Maximum stay: Set at each entry, usually up to 60 days; extendable to a maximum of 6 months - Transit visa Transit visa (transit permit, valid 48 hours)
Passengers who change planes in Ghana without leaving the airside area do not need a visa.
Maximum stay: 48 hours
Business and self-employment
- Business visa Business visa (embassy) and B1 business eVisa
A business visa covers meetings, negotiations, conferences and similar short business visits to Ghana, not employment.
Maximum stay: Set at each entry, usually up to 60 days - Investor visa Residence permit under the GIPA automatic immigrant quota (investors and their expatriate staff)
Ghana has no stand-alone investor visa.
Validity: Quota valid 5 years, renewable every 5 years
Study and training
- Student visa Residence permit (student) and study visa
A foreign national admitted to a Ghanaian school must hold a student residence permit for the whole period of study.
Maximum stay: For the length of the course, renewed as needed
Work
- Work visa Work and residence permit (companies, immigrant quota, NGOs and missionaries)
Foreign nationals who work in Ghana need a work permit and a residence permit, which GIS issues together.
Processing time: 2 weeks (2022 GIS charter); one month (GIS FAQ)
Family
- Family reunification visa Residence permit (dependant)
Family members join a foreign resident in Ghana through the dependant's residence permit.
Processing time: 4 weeks (2022 GIS charter)
Residence
- Residence permit Right of Abode (section 17 of the Immigration Act, 2000)
The Right of Abode is a permanent residence status that Ghana grants to former Ghanaian citizens who lost citizenship by acquiring another nationality and to people of African descent in the diaspora.
Maximum stay: Permanent - Permanent residence Indefinite residence status (generally and for foreign spouses of Ghanaians)
Ghana's permanent status is indefinite residence under the Immigration Act, 2000 (Act 573).
Maximum stay: Indefinite; lost after more than 12 consecutive months abroad
Online travel permits
- e-Visa Ghana eVisa (single-entry B1 business and B2 tourist eVisa)
Ghana's eVisa is issued online by the Ghana Immigration Service, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through evisa.immigration.gov.gh.
Maximum stay: Up to 60 days, set by the officer at entry - Electronic travel authorisation (ETA) Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for African Union, ECOWAS and visa-waiver nationals
Ghana's Electronic Travel Authorisation is a free pre-travel security clearance, not a visa, introduced with the eVisa platform in May 2026 as part of visa-free entry for African passport holders.
Maximum stay: Up to 90 days from the date of entry - Visa on arrival Emergency Entry Visa (EEV) / visa on arrival, pre-approved by GIS
Ghana's visa on arrival is formally the Emergency Entry Visa (EEV).
Maximum stay: 30 days, single entry
Fast-track and priority services
- Fast-track and priority visa services Official priority services: eVisa Priority and Express, embassy express visas, GIS premium express fees
Ghana offers several official ways to speed up a visa.
Processing time: eVisa: 5 or 48 hours; mission express: set by the mission
Asylum and international protection
- Asylum and international protection Refugee status under the Refugee Law, 1992 (PNDCL 305D)
Ghana decides asylum claims through the Ghana Refugee Board under the Refugee Law, 1992 (PNDCL 305D), which applies both the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and the 1969 OAU Convention.
Maximum stay: Applicants may stay until the claim and any appeal are decided
Frequently asked questions
Who needs a visa for Ghana?
ECOWAS nationals and a short list of other countries, such as Singapore, Mauritius, Kenya and Tanzania, are visa-exempt, and other African Union nationals use the free ETA. Most other travellers need a visa, either from one of Ghana's diplomatic missions abroad or as a single-entry eVisa where the eligibility checker returns eVisa Required.
How long can I stay in Ghana on a visa?
The visa does not fix the stay. The immigration officer sets it at each entry: up to 60 days for non-ECOWAS visitors, up to 90 days for ECOWAS nationals and up to 90 days on an ETA. A visitor's permit can be extended at GIS, initially for up to three months and to a maximum of six months.
Is a yellow fever certificate required?
Yes. GIS and the eVisa portal state that a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate is required for entry and may be checked at the port of entry. A vaccination certificate becomes valid ten days after the vaccine is given, so have it well before travel.
Should I apply at the embassy or online?
Both channels are official. The eVisa is single entry only, costs USD 260 to USD 442 depending on speed and is valid 90 days for entry. Visas from Ghana's missions can be single or multiple entry, valid from six months to five years, at fees and processing times set by each mission.
What happens if I overstay?
GIS charges a penalty for each month of an expired visitor's permit: GHS 300 a month for nationals outside ECOWAS under the L.I. 2512 schedule. Expired residence permits are charged GHS 300 a month, and expired work permits USD 150 a month.
Can I work in Ghana on a visitor visa?
No. GIS states that employment is restricted on a visitor's permit, and the eVisa itself warns that work without the required permit is sanctioned. Employment requires a work and residence permit.
Embassies and consulates
Last checked 24 October 2026. Each visa page lists the official sources it is based on.