Applying for a visa

Required documents and process

Foreigners applying for a Ghanaian visa must prove their eligibility and will need to produce several documents as part of their application.

In order to apply for a Ghanaian visa, expats have to gather several documents:

• A passport valid for at least 6 months after the planned arrival date in Ghana.
• Completed Visa application forms (available to download from embassy websites, as well as at the Ghana Immigration Service Headquarters or regional offices in Ghana).

Depending on the type of visa you are applying for, the application form includes details such as nationality, expected place of residence in Ghana (hotel or other accommodation), arrival date and proposed length of your stay (flight ticket references), purpose of the stay and amount of money you are travelling with. The following are also required:

• 4 passport sized pictures
• A vaccination certificate against yellow fever (less than 10 years old). All travellers older than 9 months must hold a certificate or have been vaccinated at least 10 days prior to arrival.
• A letter from the company explaining the business reason as well as the company references if the person is travelling on behalf of a company.

Visa application process

You will be charged a visa application fee. The amount varies depending on the type of visa you are applying for. A current list of fees for all visas can be found on the Ghana Immigration Service website .

The usual waiting period to get your visa is around 10 working days. Emergency visas may be issued within 48 hours.

You can apply for a single entry visa or a multiple entry visa. For a regular visa application (which does not include a transit visa), you will have also to chose between a minimum length of 1 month (30 days) visa or a 3 month (90 days) visa. These both have an effect on the visa price - higher fees will be charged for multiple entry and longer visas.

Visa extensions

If you plan to extend your stay in Ghana, you have to renew your visa before its validity ends. If you don’t, you will be charged monthly until you receive your new visa (10.00 GH¢ = less than 5 euros and less than US$6).

In order to extend your stay, you have to reapply to the Immigration Headquarters or regional office in Ghana. You will be asked to provide a written statement including the reason why you wish to stay longer in Ghana, prove you are intending to invest in Ghana and to prove you are planning to return to your home country (flight ticket). You will also need to provide passport pictures, a completed application form, as well as a valid passport and the processing fee.