Ghana

Ghana · Africa · updated 21.08.2026

Ghana is a West African country with English-language law based on the Immigration Act, 2000 (Act 573) and the Citizenship Act, 2000 (Act 591), which has allowed dual citizenship since 2000. Work immigration is structured through the Ghana Immigration Service's 'Work and Residence Permit' combination and, for investors, an automatic GIPC/GIPA immigrant quota sized to the company's paid-up capital. A distinctive feature of the country is two official channels for the diaspora of African descent: the Right of Abode permanent-residence status and a state citizenship programme launched in 2016 and continued by the Year of Return 2019 campaign. Importing dogs and cats does not require quarantine, but does require laboratory confirmation of the absence of several infections and current vaccination. Of the country's five largest districts by the 2021 census, one — Cape Coast — is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site tied to the history of the transatlantic slave trade.

Some descriptions for this country are still Russian only: 83% translated. Numbers, prices and timelines are complete.

Entry

Entry rules depend on citizenship. Choose a passport to see the requirement for that one.

Work and visas

Visa types: Visa on arrival / emergency entry visa (Visa On Arrival / Emergency Entry Visa) · Transit visa (Transit Visa) · Re-entry visa (Re-Entry Visa) · Student residence permit (Residence Permit — Student) · Work and residence permit for companies (Work and Residence Permit — Companies) · Work and residence permit for missionaries/NGOs/GIPC immigrant-quota holders/shareholders (Work and Residence Permit — Missionaries/NGOs/Immigrant Quota GIPC/Shareholders) · Dependant residence permit, including for a spouse (Residence Permit — Dependant) · Indefinite residence permit (Indefinite Residence Status Generally) · The right of permanent residence for persons of African descent (Right of Abode) · Automatic immigrant quota for investors via GIPC (Automatic Immigrant Quota, GIPC Act, 2013, Act 865)

Unlike its regional neighbours, Ghana has two separate official pathways for the diaspora of African descent. (1) Right of Abode (gis.gov.gh) — an indefinite residence status without a visa or work permit; granted by the minister with the president's approval to two categories: Ghanaians by birth/adoption/registration/naturalisation who lost their citizenship on acquiring a foreign one, and persons of African descent from the diaspora (Ghanaian sponsors are required; for the diaspora, evidence of economic contribution is also required). This is a residence status, not citizenship. (2) The Ghana Citizenship Program (diasporaaffairs.gov.gh, the Office of Diaspora Affairs under the Presidency) — a separate programme granting citizenship itself to persons of African descent; launched on 28 December 2016 with the 'Right to Return' project (35 descendants of enslaved Africans received citizenship at the time) and linked to the Year of Return 2019 campaign. The investor immigrant quota via GIPC (Ghana Investment Promotion Centre Act, 2013, Act 865) grants automatic work-plus-residence permits scaled to paid-up capital: 1 quota place for $50–250 thousand, 2 for $250–500 thousand, 3 for $500–700 thousand, 4 for $700 thousand+; the quota covers the holder themselves, their spouse, and minor children (gipc.gov.gh/labour-expatriate-employment/). As of July–August 2026, GIPC is being renamed GIPA (Ghana Investment Promotion Authority) — the authority's website already carries a new copyright notice and the news item 'GIPC Now an Authority' (22 July 2026), while still linking to Act 865 (2013); a separate text of the new GIPA act was not found on the site at the time of collection.

Long-term visas and residence permits

Work and residence permit (companies)

Work

renewablefee $ 1 293

Fee: The Immigration Service tariff rate, the edition in force from 15 May 2025 (the review of fees under LI 2228). The tariff sorts applicants into three classes, and the field carries the rate for «other nationals». For a Ghanaian with a foreign passport it is 194, for a citizen of an ECOWAS state 647, for others 1 293 USD

official source · read 2026-08-21

Work and residence permit (missionaries and NGOs)

Work

renewablefee $ 388

official source · read 2026-08-21

Residence permit under the GIPC automatic quota

Investment

renewablefee $ 500

official source · read 2026-08-21

Residence permit under the immigrant quota

Investment

renewablefee $ 647

official source · read 2026-08-21

Residence permit for shareholders

Investment

renewablefee 2 000 GHS

Fee: The only rate filled in on this row of the tariff: GHS 2,000 for citizens of ECOWAS states. The «Ghanaians with a foreign passport» and «other nationals» columns carry a dash, and the tariff does not say whether that means no rate exists or the ground is unavailable to them

official source · read 2026-08-21

Free zone residence permit

Work

renewablefee $ 240

Fee: The first-year rate in the Immigration Service tariff; renewals climb a ladder: USD 240 for the second year, 360 for the third and fourth, 600 for the fifth. The rate is the same for all three classes of applicant

official source · read 2026-08-21

Residence permit (student)

Study

renewablefee 259 GHS

Fee: The Immigration Service tariff rate, the edition in force from 15 May 2025 (the review of fees under LI 2228). The tariff sorts applicants into three classes, and the field carries the rate for «other nationals». For a Ghanaian with a foreign passport it is 129, for a citizen of an ECOWAS state 194, for others 259 GHS

official source · read 2026-08-21

Residence permit (dependant)

Family

renewablefee 388 GHS

official source · read 2026-08-21

Indefinite residence status

Other

family allowedfee $ 18 000

Fee: The Immigration Service tariff rate for other nationals; for a Ghanaian with a foreign passport it is GHS 10,000. This is the most expensive residence ground in the tariff

official source · read 2026-08-21

Indefinite residence status for the spouse of a Ghanaian

Family

fee 5 000 GHS

Fee: A single rate in the Immigration Service tariff, the same for all three classes of applicant

official source · read 2026-08-21

Right of Abode

Repatriation

Fee: The Immigration Service tariff has no separate row for the Right of Abode

official source · read 2026-08-21

Visa on arrival / emergency entry visa

Other

does not count toward permanent residencefee $ 200

Fee: The Immigration Service tariff rate, the same for all classes. A returning resident has a separate row, denominated in cedi: GHS 129 for a Ghanaian with a foreign passport, 259 for others

official source · read 2026-08-21

Visa or permit extension

Other

renewabledoes not count toward permanent residencefee 65 GHS

Fee: The Immigration Service tariff rate, the edition in force from 15 May 2025 (the review of fees under LI 2228). The tariff sorts applicants into three classes, and the field carries the rate for «other nationals». For a Ghanaian with a foreign passport it is 26, for a citizen of an ECOWAS state 39, for others 65 GHS per month

official source · read 2026-08-21

Transit visa

Other

does not count toward permanent residence

Fee: The Immigration Service tariff has no separate row for the transit visa

official source · read 2026-08-21

Re-entry visa

Other

does not count toward permanent residence

Fee: The Immigration Service tariff has no separate row for the re-entry visa

official source · read 2026-08-21

Aliens identity card

Other

renewablefee $ 40,0

Fee: The Immigration Service tariff rate for other nationals and citizens of ECOWAS states; for a Ghanaian with a foreign passport it is GHS 39

official source · read 2026-08-21

Programme terms change, and the final decision rests with the consulate or the country migration service. The data is collected from official sources on the date shown and is not legal advice.

Residence and citizenship

Citizenship after: 5 years
Language: Proficiency in a language indigenous to Ghana (Twi, Ewe, Ga, Nzema, etc.) is required — explicitly stated for the state diaspora citizenship programme (diasporaaffairs.gov.gh/citizenship); not separately confirmed by a primary source for the general naturalisation procedure under Act 591.
Dual citizenship: allowed

Dual citizenship: Dual citizenship has been permitted in Ghana since the Citizenship Act, 2000 (Act 591) was adopted — before that, acquiring foreign citizenship automatically stripped Ghanaian citizenship (this is confirmed by GIS itself: the Right of Abode status is explicitly addressed to Ghanaians 'who have lost their citizenship through the acquisition of a foreign one', i.e. it deals with the legacy of the pre-reform rule). Renouncing citizenship is now a purely voluntary procedure: the Ghana High Commission in London (ghanahighcommissionuk.com / london.mfa.gov.gh) describes 'Renunciation of Citizenship' as a separate application to the Minister of the Interior, not an automatic consequence of obtaining another passport.

The direct text of the Citizenship Act, 2000 (Act 591) could not be found (the law-aggregator domain laws.ghanalegal.com does not exist, ghalii.org returns a Cloudflare block on act pages, and the ILO NATLEX and Refworld sites block automated requests). The official state citizenship programme for the diaspora (diasporaaffairs.gov.gh/citizenship, Office of Diaspora Affairs under the Presidency) requires continuous residence in Ghana for at least 5 of the last 7 years, including 12 consecutive months immediately before filing; knowledge of a local Ghanaian language and evidence of cultural assimilation; a clean criminal record; and a contribution to Ghana's development. This matches the structure (5 of 7 plus a continuous year) of the general naturalisation procedure as described in open sources ('six years of residence' and a local-language requirement), so the figure is given as a reference point rather than a norm verified against the primary source — see citizenshipExtra.

The Ghana Citizenship Program for the diaspora of African descent is not general naturalisation but a separate track administered by the Office of Diaspora Affairs under the Presidency, not GIS. Launched on 28 December 2016 with John Dramani Mahama's 'Right to Return' project (35 descendants of enslaved Africans received citizenship); linked to the Year of Return 2019 campaign (400 years since the start of the transatlantic slave trade). Not to be confused with Right of Abode (a GIS residence status, not citizenship) — both programmes target the diaspora but produce different legal outcomes.

Documents

Document certification: consular legalisation

The country does not accept apostilles: documents go through consular legalisation in three steps — ministry of justice, foreign ministry, consulate.

Family

Partner

Timeline: not officially published

The basic Residence Permit (Dependant) for a spouse is available only if the marriage has lasted more than 4 years ('Spouses are eligible for this permit when married for more than 4 years' — gis.gov.gh/service/residence-permit-dependant/). The official processing time is not published on the GIS website. There is a separate, higher status — indefinite residence for the foreign spouse of a Ghanaian citizen ('Indefinite [Spouse of Ghanaians]', a separate line item in the GIS fee schedule, LI 2228 as amended, in effect from 15 May 2025): under the general description of Indefinite Residence status, its holder is entitled to 'work in Ghana as a self-employed or as an employee without a work permit' — but this is a separate, higher tier, not an automatic right under the basic Residence Permit (Dependant). Also, under the GIPC Act 2013 (Act 865), a foreign spouse of a Ghanaian citizen married for 5 or more years and resident in Ghana is exempt from the minimum foreign capital requirement when starting a business (gipc.gov.gh/minimum-equity-requirements/).

Parents

Partner's parents

Pets

Limit: no limit
Quarantine: no
Antibody titre test: not needed
Preparation: ~1 months

The source is the official 'Import Requirements' page of the Veterinary Services Department (vsd.gov.gh/255-2/, under the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, vsd@mofa.gov.gh; the site mofa.gov.gh is the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, not Foreign Affairs). For dogs, negative tests are required for five diseases (Brucella canis, Trypanosoma evansi, Babesia gibsoni, Dirofilaria immitis, Leishmania spp.) plus current vaccination (no younger than 1 month, no older than 12 months) against distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, leptospirosis, parainfluenza, and rabies; for cats — a health certificate and vaccination against panleukopenia, calicivirus, rhinotracheitis, and rabies. There is no explicit requirement for a quantitative rabies antibody titre test for ordinary dogs/cats on the page — only vaccination (titre testing is explicitly required only for wild felids). The page does not name a separate quarantine for dogs and cats (unlike antelopes — 15 days, giraffes/zebras — 45 days, monkeys — 40 days, exotic felids — 30 days), so 0 days is not a guess but a read absence of the requirement specifically for these two species. Laboratory results are valid for 31 days; the import permit is issued within 72 working hours (3 working days). No banned breeds were found. The 'difficult' verdict is not due to quarantine (there is none) but due to the mandatory five-disease laboratory test panel for dogs and the need to obtain a separate import permit.

Safety

Climate

27J

29F

29M

28A

28M

26J

25A

25S

26O

27N

27D

Quality of life

Cities

Accra

tech hub

284 124 residents

$ 472

1 bedroom, per month

Ghana's capital and its political, business, and financial centre; the population of Accra Metropolitan district is 284,124 (2021 census, Ghana Statistical Service), while the Greater Accra agglomeration is many times larger — the region is divided into many separate district administrations. Kotoka International Airport, and the headquarters of GIS and GIPC/GIPA.

2 bedrooms $ 632 · estimate3 bedrooms $ 844utilities $ 67,1ticket $ 1,44monthly pass $ 40,1

To buy, per m²: centre $ 3 284 · suburbs $ 1 835

A coastal city on a plain: heavy rains in May–June regularly overwhelm the stormwater drainage system — a flood and a fire at a petrol station on 3 June 2015 claimed more than 150 lives, one of the worst such incidents in the city's history. Earthquakes are rare (INFORM: a low national level), but the historic centre is densely built up.

+The largest labour market, with government agency headquarters and those of most international companies

+The country's principal IT and fintech cluster

+An international airport with direct flights to Europe, North America, and across Africa

−City-centre rent is noticeably higher than in other Ghanaian cities

−Heavy traffic congestion

−Seasonal flooding during the rainy season

Kumasi

443 981 residents

$ 88,8

1 bedroom, per month

The capital of the Ashanti Region and the country's most populous district (443,981 people, Kumasi Metropolitan, 2021 census) — the historic centre of the Ashanti kingdom, Manhyia Palace, and KNUST university.

2 bedrooms $ 121 · estimate3 bedrooms $ 163utilities $ 44,4ticket $ 0,41monthly pass $ 23,4

To buy, per m²: centre $ 6 571 · suburbs $ 3 759

An inland city (not coastal), with lower risk of coastal flooding and storms than Accra and Takoradi; localised flooding during the rainy season due to overloaded stormwater drainage.

+Ghana's most populous district, the country's second most important business centre

+KNUST is one of West Africa's leading technical universities

+Lower cost of living and rent than in Accra

−Fewer international flights and foreign company offices than in Accra

−Dense historic built-up area, overcrowded markets in the centre

Sekondi-Takoradi

245 382 residents

$ 236

1 bedroom, per month

The capital of the Western Region and the country's main port city (245,382 people, Sekondi Takoradi Metropolitan, 2021 census); since the discovery of the Jubilee field in 2007, the centre of Ghana's oil and gas industry.

2 bedrooms $ 312 · estimate3 bedrooms $ 414utilities $ 63,7ticket $ 1,22monthly pass $ 35,5

To buy, per m²: centre $ 6 144 · suburbs $ 3 533

A coastal city: risk of coastal erosion and storm surges; the proximity of offshore oil extraction adds industrial and environmental risks (spills, associated-gas flaring).

+The country's main deep-water port, a centre of the oil and gas industry

+Rent is noticeably cheaper than in Accra

+Ocean coastline and beaches within the agglomeration

−A smaller labour market outside the oil-and-gas and port sectors

−Industrial and port pressure on the coastal environment

Tamale

374 744 residents

$ 200

1 bedroom, per month

The capital of the Northern Region and the largest city in the north of Ghana (374,744 people, Tamale Metropolitan, 2021 census) — one of the country's fastest-growing cities.

2 bedrooms $ 270 · estimate3 bedrooms $ 363utilities $ 60,3ticket $ 0,86monthly pass $ 33,8

To buy, per m²: centre $ 6 401 · suburbs $ 3 765

Seasonal flooding in the Northern Region, worsened by scheduled water releases from the Bagre reservoir in neighbouring Burkina Faso upstream on the White Volta — regularly affects low-lying areas along the river during the rainy season.

+The largest city and transport hub of Northern Ghana

+Noticeably lower rent and cost of living than in the south of the country

−Further from the ports and Accra's international airport

−Seasonal flood risk from cross-border water releases

Cape Coast

189 925 residents

The capital of the Central Region (189,925 people, Cape Coast Metropolitan, 2021 census); the UNESCO World Heritage Site 'Forts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions' — Cape Coast Castle, a centre of the transatlantic slave trade in the 17th–19th centuries, and the neighbouring Elmina Castle. University of Cape Coast.

ticket —monthly pass —

To buy, per m²: centre — · suburbs —

Coastal erosion; beaches near the forts can have dangerous rip currents. Rent and utilities are null: the city has no page on livingcost.org (livingcost.org/cost/ghana/cape-coast checked — 404), and Numbeo does not recognise the city ('Cannot find city id for Cape-Coast', checked 3 August 2026); figures were not invented.

+A UNESCO World Heritage Site — the slave-trade forts and castles, a key tourist destination for the country

+University of Cape Coast, a resort coastline

−A small local labour market outside tourism and education

−No data on rent and utilities in the sources used (see cityRisks)

Grocery basket

Bread, 500 g: $ 1,51
Milk, 1 l: $ 2,49
Eggs, 12: $ 2,31
Chicken breast, 1 kg: $ 5,59
Cheese, 1 kg: $ 8,53
Rice, 1 kg: $ 2,30
Potatoes, 1 kg: $ 2,29
Apples, 1 kg: $ 2,62
Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 l: $ 1,66
Total: $ 29,3

The same set for every country, so the comparison is fair.

Cost of living across the country

Rent, 1 bedroom: $ 206 a month
Rent, 3 bedrooms: $ 535 a month
Utility bills: $ 56,0 a month
Home internet: $ 37,8 a month
Monthly transport pass: $ 30,8 a month
Single transport ticket: $ 0,86
Petrol, litre: $ 1,10
Cold medicine: $ 5,25 for a week

Country averages. City prices, where collected, are shown above and are more precise.

Indicators

Life expectancy: 65,7 years2024
Homicides: 1,8 per 100k2022
Road deaths: 25,9 per 100k2021
Unemployment: 3 %2025
Unemployment, ages 15–24: 5,8 %2025
Inequality (Gini): 43,52016 · data lags behind
Health spending per person: $ 70,3 a year
Air pollution, PM2.5: 28,1 µg/m³2023
Access to clean water: 89,9 %2024
Internet, fixed line: 49,1 Mbit/s2026

Governance

Political stability: above average · 0
Control of corruption: below average · -0,2
Rule of law: above average · 0,1
Government effectiveness: above average · 0,1

World Bank estimates on a −2.5 to +2.5 scale, higher is better.

Natural hazards

Earthquakes: 0,1 out of 10
River floods: 4,7 out of 10
Coastal floods: 4,3 out of 10
Tropical cyclones: 0 out of 10
Droughts: 1,3 out of 10
Tsunamis: 1,7 out of 10

Each value carries the year it refers to. “Data lags behind” means this country's figure was collected noticeably earlier than the rest. Natural hazards use one 0–10 scale and are meant to be compared against each other.

Pros and cons

+Dual citizenship has been permitted since 2000, and separate official channels operate for the diaspora of African descent — Right of Abode and the state citizenship programme

+The investor immigrant quota is automatic and tied to transparent paid-up capital thresholds (GIPC Act 865, 2013)

+Importing dogs and cats does not require quarantine — only a panel of laboratory tests and current vaccination

−Official processing times for work and family residence permits are not published anywhere

−The World Bank's rule-of-law and control-of-corruption indices hold near zero — around the world median, with no marked improvement

−Importing dogs requires negative tests for five infectious diseases at once, not just vaccination

Compare with other countries in the region

Algeria · Angola · Benin · Botswana · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cameroon · Chad · Cote d'Ivoire · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Djibouti · Egypt · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Eswatini · Ethiopia · Gabon · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Kenya · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Morocco · Mozambique · Namibia · Niger · Nigeria · Republic of the Congo · Rwanda · Senegal · Sierra Leone · Somalia · South Africa · South Sudan · Sudan · Tanzania · The Gambia · Togo · Tunisia · Uganda · Zambia · Zimbabwe

Other countries in the region: Africa

Algeria · Angola · Benin · Botswana · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cameroon · Central African Republic · Chad · Cote d'Ivoire · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Djibouti · Egypt · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Eswatini · Ethiopia · Gabon · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Kenya · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Morocco · Mozambique · Namibia · Niger · Nigeria · Republic of the Congo · Rwanda · Senegal · Sierra Leone · Somalia · South Africa · South Sudan · Sudan · Tanzania · The Gambia · Togo · Tunisia · Uganda · Zambia · Zimbabwe

All countries by region

Official sources

Ghana Immigration Service

Visas, residence permits, Right of Abode, indefinite residence, fee schedule

↗

GIPC / GIPA — Labour & Expatriate Employment

The investor immigrant quota under the GIPC Act 2013 (Act 865): paid-up capital thresholds and the number of automatic quota places

↗

Diaspora Affairs Office (Office of the President) — Ghana Citizenship Program

The citizenship programme for the diaspora of African descent; the text of the general Citizenship Act 591 (2000) could not be found on official domains

↗

Veterinary Services Department (Ministry of Food and Agriculture) — Import Requirements

Requirements for importing dogs, cats, and other animals

↗