How to Apply for Ghana Visa on Arrival – Updated

ghana visa on arrival

How to Apply for Ghana Visa On Arrival

Nestled between the gulf of guinea and the renowned Atlantic Ocean, in the sub region of West Africa is the small but beautiful country of Ghana. Known for its rich expansive culture, considerable natural wealth and its extremely nice people, Ghana has over the years grown to become one of the top tourist  destinations in Africa.

There are a couple of countries were you don’t have to labour through the rigors of obtaining a visa until you arrive at your destination.  Ghana is one of such countries.

In these countries visa applications are post arrival and is called an entry visa or visa on arrival.

What that basically entails is that if Ghana is your choice destination, then your visa is issued only after you successfully enter the country.

Sounds easy, right? Maybe not that easy. Here are a few general things of importance to note about a Ghana entry visa.

Ghana Visa on Arrival Policy

  1. An entry visa or visa on arrival is issued only by the Ghana immigration Service.
  2. It is issued to foreigners who are entering or transiting through Ghanaian territory.
  3. The Entry Visa is issued upon arrival and is usually valid from between 14 to 30 days after it is issued.
  4. An entry visa can be obtained by applying to the Comptroller-General of the Ghana Immigration Service.
  5. A filed application to obtain an entry visa is usually done by the host person in Ghana on behalf of the visiting foreign national.
  6. All visiting foreign nationals entering Ghana must have in their possession, a valid passport or official travel document establishing the holder’s identity.
  7. The Government of Ghana recognizes valid travel documents issued by Governments or International Agencies around the world.
  8. There are a list of countries where their foreign nationals have visa-exempt status in Ghana and are not required to pay a visa fee. (we’ll get to these countries much later).

Ghana Visa on Arrival Cost

An entry visa or visa on arrival costs $150 per person, regardless of whether the individual is an adult or a child.

As a rule, all fees for visa processing must be paid before any kind of approval is given by the Comptroller-General of Immigration.

On the other hand, the applicant may be requested to pay the entry visa fee upon arrival in Ghana, if the individual in question has been invited by either a Government Ministry, Department or Agency resident in Ghana.

Ghana Visa On Arrival Requirements

We understand that the entry visa process might be a bit confusing for first-time travellers, so we did our best to put the essential requirements in a list (with bullet points!) to help you clear up any confusion.

The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has issued a set of predetermined guidelines to help reform the process of issuing Emergency Entry visas.  These guidelines are set out to assist foreign nationals in putting together the required documentation to obtaining an entry visa.

We have them listed below:

  1. All visa application letters must be submitted at the Headquarters of the Ghana Immigration Service in Accra.
  2. Once submitted, it takes seven (7) working days to process the entry visa.
  3. All entry visa application without exception should include the following important information:
  • Date of arrival
  • Duration of Stay
  • Country of origin
  • Purpose of visit (make sure this part is detailed)
  • Address from resident country
  • Lodging address (in visiting country)
  • Occupation or profession
  • A Phone number – (a foreign number will do)
  • An Email address
  1. Every entry visa application letter should include some or all of the following supporting documents :
  • Copy of residence permit (where your host is non-Ghanaian)
  • Bio-data page of passport of the applicant
  • Bio-data page of passport or copy of the identity card of signatory of the application letter
  • Certificate to commence business
  • Certificate of incorporation
  • Company’s regulations
  • Tax clearance certificate
  • Audited accounts (where company has been in existence for 5 years and above)
  • Bank statement (where the host is an individual)
  • Travel ticket
  • Proof of stay while in Ghana (a hotel booking will do)

NB: It is important to note that all letters to the Ghana Immigration Service must be addressed to the Comptroller-General, Ghana Immigration Service, Headquarters, Accra.

That wasn’t too confusing, was it? Please endeavour that all documentation are legible and clearly marked to facilitate quick entry visa processing.

As in any application, there are certain predetermined conditions that should have been met before an emergency entry visa application is to be considered for processing.

Here’s a quick list of the aforementioned conditions:

Conditions for Consideration of Emergency Entry Visa Application

Like the word entails, an emergency entry visa is considered only for certain ‘emergency’ cases and so there are conditions that warrant that status. They are:

  1. The emergency entry visa applicant is coming from a country where Ghana has no diplomatic mission or consulate
  2. The applicant is coming from a country with Ghana representation but the entry into Ghana is required on the basis of on an emergency assignment or
  3. The applicant’s place of residence and the Ghana Consulate office in the country of consideration are considerably far apart that the nature of the applicant’s impromptu journey affects his ability to travel to the visa office.
  4. The application to Ghana is being sought at short notice for urgent business transactions purposes.

NB: Be aware that in accordance with section 6 of the Immigration Act 2000, Act 573, the Ghana Immigration Service is required to make certain inquiries or request the production of further evidence to satisfy itself of the truth of statements made in your application.

Visa Exempt Status

Okay, so we promised to get back to this part, didn’t we? Yes, it’s true; there are a few countries that hold a visa-exempt status in Ghana. That is, these countries are exempted from paying official fees for visa on arrival. They can enter Ghana with this status for a maximum of 90 days.

The Ghana Immigration Service officially exempts foreign nationals from the following countries from paying visa on arrival fees. The countries are:

Benin,

Burkina Faso,

Cape Verde,

Ivory Coast,

Gambia,

Guinea,

Guinea-Bissau,

Kenya, Liberia,

Mali,

Mauritius (60 days),

Niger,

Nigeria,

Rwanda,

Senegal,

Sierra Leone,

Singapore,

Swaziland,

Togo,

Trinidad and Tobago (60 days),

Lesotho,

Malawi,

Namibia,

South Africa,

Tanzania,

Trinidad and Tobago,

Uganda and

Zimbabwe.

Long list, right?

Special Passports

As a holder of a diplomatic, official, or service passport issued to foreign nationals of the following countries; Brazil, China, Cuba, Germany, Equatorial Guinea and Iran; you are considered to be in possession of a special passport and do not require a visa for Ghana.

Also, if you hold a passport of a Regional Economic Community in Africa and the African Economic Community United Nations and its Specialized Agencies like The World Bank and African Development Bank, you definitely do not need a visa for Ghana.

That’s basically everything you need to know about obtaining an emergency entry visa or visa on arrival in Ghana.

The truth is that to easily obtain an emergency entry visa without unnecessary stress requires that you attach all relevant documents acquire the requested documentation, , emphasize all necessary information in the application letter and submit your entry visa application in good time.

Good luck.

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