Visas and other Entry Requirements
All visitors to Ghana are required to have
a visa unless you are a citizen of a West
African country which belongs to ECOWAS. You
must have a return ticket to Ghana before
applying for a visa. Basic tourist visas are
valid for 3 months from date of issue so don't
get it too early or it may expire before you
arrive. A single entry tourist visa costs
$50. Student visa applications must be submitted
together with a letter of invitation from
the principals in Ghana and or in the student's
home country.
Ghana also requires all visitors to have
a valid certificate of immunization against
yellow fever.
Check
with Embassy of Ghana for the most updated
information and location of Consular offices.
Health and Immunizations
Ghana is a tropical country and now has modern
hospitals, so, you'll need to pack a good
basic medical kit for yourself when you go.
Ghana requires all visitors to have a valid
certificate of immunization against yellow
fever. Other recommended immunizations for
travel to Ghana include: Typhoid, Hepatitis
A, Diphtheria
Malaria
There's a risk of catching malaria pretty
much everywhere you travel in Ghana. Ghana
is home to the chloroquine-resistant strain
of malaria as well as several others. Make
sure your doctor or travel clinic knows you
are traveling to Ghana (don't just say Africa)
so s/he can prescribe the right anti-malarial
medication. For
more details on Malaria in Ghana, click on
this map from the WHO.
Safety
In general people are extremely friendly in
Ghana and you will be humbled by their hospitality.
It's also one of Africa's more stable countries
politically and you should be able to travel
safely to all areas. But, some citizens live
below the $1 a day and you will still attract
your fair share of souvenir hawkers and beggars.
If you follow some basic safety rules, you
shouldn't have any problems. Accra is actually
one of West Africa's safest big cities but
you do need to be aware of pickpockets and
petty thieves especially around crowded areas
like bus stops and markets. It's also not
a good idea to walk on the beach alone at
night. Ghana is generally considered to be
the best West African country to visit if
you're a woman traveling alone.
Money Matters
The cedi is the unit of currency in Ghana.
The cedi used to be broken down into 100 pesewas
but inflation has made the pesewas obsolete.
Check
out this currency converter to find out how
many cedis your dollar, yen or pound can get.
The best currencies to bring to Ghana are:
US Dollars, Euros or British pounds. These
will get you the best exchange rate at banks
and foreign exchange bureaus. ATM machines
are available in major cities. If you're planning
on bringing traveler cheques, exchange them
in the main cities, smaller towns may not
exchange them. Don't change too much money
at one time unless you're prepared to accommodate
large wads of cedis. While larger cedi notes
have recently come into circulation, you'll
still find it difficult to fit a lot of it
in your wallet or money belt.
