🥁 Ghana

Official government travel advice

Advice changes quickly. Check it before you travel and again before you leave.

Costs

Prices here are about 38% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.

Practical information

Entry

The visa position turns on your passport, so consult the official site linked below. Sources say that anyone needing a visa applies at a Ghanaian consulate or embassy ahead of travel. One site says instead that an online authorisation applies, so confirm the route with the embassy or the Ghana Immigration Service before booking. Hotel details, a return ticket and a passport with 6 months of validity should be carried. Entry requires a yellow fever certificate. Talk to a doctor about preventing malaria.

Ghana Immigration Service OfficialOfficial immigration authority.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ghana OfficialOfficial foreign ministry.
Visit Ghana OfficialOfficial tourism site.

Culture and practical - take note

Ghana ranks among Africa's friendliest countries, and 'Akwaaba' means welcome. Everyone should be greeted, with a handshake given using the right hand, and elders are greeted first. Modest clothing is advised. Sundays are given to church, so mornings are quiet in many places. People should be asked before they are photographed. At the castles of Cape Coast and Elmina, memorials to the slave trade, show respect and heed the guides. Stick to bottled or treated water. In Accra, ride-hailing apps are the thing to use, and walking at night is best avoided. Same-sex relations are covered by strict laws, and governments warn travellers about this. In restaurants, tip about 10%. Accra and the Muslim-majority north make halal food easy to get.

Emergency

112. Police 191. Fire 192. Ambulance 193.

Good to know

Cash, cards and cedis

The currency is the Ghanaian cedi. Canadian advice says card and ATM fraud is widespread, recommends paying in cash when possible, and notes that medical services usually require immediate cash payment. Foreign currency must be declared on arrival and exchanged only at banks or bureaus, deals with private individuals are illegal, and taking cedis out of the country is prohibited. UK advice says Mastercard is not widely accepted.

Source: Government of Canada travel advice: Ghana (checked 4 Nov 2026)
Source: UK FCDO travel advice: Ghana, safety and security (checked 4 Nov 2026)

Local laws and customs

Dress, drugs and military clothing

Ghana is a conservative society, says Canadian advice, which urges modest dress and respect for religious and social traditions. Wearing military clothing, including camouflage, is illegal. Photographing military sites, government buildings, bridges or Accra airport is prohibited, and smoking is banned in public areas. UK advice says even small amounts of cannabis can mean more than five years in prison, and that some same-sex sexual acts are criminal offences.

Source: Government of Canada travel advice: Ghana (checked 4 Nov 2026)
Source: UK FCDO travel advice: Ghana, safety and security (checked 4 Nov 2026)

Taxis and scams

Licensed taxis and tro-tros

Licensed taxis are what UK advice recommends, with a check on the driver's ID and the vehicle's condition, and it says not to travel alone in taxis after dark. It notes that tro-tros and app-based taxis are not centrally licensed. Canadian advice says not to hail taxis in the street, to choose officially marked ones with no other passengers, and to agree the fare before departure.

Source: UK FCDO travel advice: Ghana, safety and security (checked 4 Nov 2026)
Source: Government of Canada travel advice: Ghana (checked 4 Nov 2026)

Fraud against foreign visitors

Scam artists go after foreign visitors and residents, UK advice says; it recommends being wary of offers of help unless they come from uniformed porters or officials, and keeping your card in sight when paying. Canadian advice says to ask officials for a name tag and identification number, and not to hand over money or a passport.

Source: UK FCDO travel advice: Ghana, safety and security (checked 4 Nov 2026)
Source: Government of Canada travel advice: Ghana (checked 4 Nov 2026)

Who can help

local government

Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA)

Helps with: Ghana's national tourism body. Its head office in Accra and its website give contact details for visitor questions and tourism enquiries.

Who qualifies: Anyone travelling in Ghana or planning a trip there.

Phone: +233 302 985 069

Email: [email protected]

Address: No. 2 Haile Selassie Street, South Ridge, Accra

Official website

Source · checked 2026-11-04

local government

Ghana Police Service headquarters

Helps with: National police headquarters in Accra. The contact page gives its general enquiry lines and address; it does not show a separate tourist police unit or emergency number.

Who qualifies: Anyone in Ghana, including visitors, who needs to contact the national police.

Phone: +233 302 773906

Email: [email protected]

Address: Ring Road East, Cantonment, Ghana

Official website

Source · checked 2026-11-04

local government

National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO)

Helps with: Ghana's national disaster body. Its site lists 112 as NADMO Line 1; 112 is also Ghana's general emergency number for police, fire and ambulance.

Who qualifies: Anyone in Ghana affected by a disaster such as flooding, or reporting one.

Phone: 112

Email: [email protected]

Address: Plot 3, Brigade, East Kanda, Cantonments, Accra

Official website

Source · checked 2026-11-04

un agency

International Organization for Migration (IOM) Ghana

Helps with: The UN migration agency, present in Ghana since 1987. It works on migration management and crisis response and gives humanitarian help to migrants, returnees and displaced people.

Who qualifies: Migrants, returnees and displaced people in Ghana. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.

Phone: +233 302 742 930

Email: [email protected]

Address: 9 Volta Street, Airport Residential Area, Accra

Official website

Source · checked 2026-11-04