Moving to Ghana
6 ways to move to Ghana in our guide: 3 investor routes, 1 work visa, 1 student visa, 1 spouse visa.
No digital nomad visa. Smallest investment: Investor · $200k joint venture, $200k+. Checked against official sources on .
Ghana offers a few clear routes for foreign investors and workers, each tied to a registered enterprise and its expatriate quota. The rules are set out in the GIPC Act, and the paperwork runs through the Ghana Immigration Service and the Ministry of the Interior.
Investing · 3
Investor
Investment needed: from $200k
- $200k joint venture
- $500k own firm
- $1M trading firm
Work · 1
Company work permit
First stay: 4 yrs
Student · 1
Student permit
First stay: 4 yrs
Details
Residence permit (student)
- Renewable
- An application letter from the school addressed to the Comptroller-General is required
- Two passport photographs are required
Residence permit for a foreign student, requested through the school. 9 3 4 5 6 7 8
What you must show and pay
- A fee of GHS 259 (≈ $22) · Residence permit (student) for nationals other than ECOWAS citizens; GHS 194 (≈ $16) for ECOWAS citizens. 3
Requirements
- An application letter from the school addressed to the Comptroller-General is required. 9
- Two passport photographs are required. 9
- An admission letter is required. 9
- School fees receipts are required. 9
- Where applicable, a bond, birth certificate, sworn affidavit and guarantor support letter are required. 9
Stay
- Ghana residence permits are granted for up to four years in the first instance, and the immigration officer decides the length. The Immigration Act 2000 allows a residence permit of up to eight years in total, and a four-year permit can be extended for a further period of up to four years.
- First stay: up to 48 months, decided case by case.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Family
Spouse, children and other dependants of an expatriate permit holder may apply for a dependant permit.
First checked against official sources on , some details partly verifiedChange log
Spouse visas · 1
For people married to, or in a partnership with, a citizen or permanent resident.
Spouse of a citizen
First stay: 4 yrs
Free movement and visa-free stays · 1
ECOWAS free movement · Lets you live here
Open to 11 passports: Benin, Cabo Verde, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo.
Tax
A resident individual is taxed on worldwide income from all sources, on a progressive scale that reaches the top rate above the income bar. A non-resident individual is taxed on Ghana-source income at the non-resident rate. Chargeable income is worked out separately for each source, with allowable deductions, and a foreign tax credit is allowed. Residency for tax is a separate question from your immigration status.
Standard rules
Ghana: personal income tax; residents taxed on worldwide income, top rate 35%
35% tax
Details
- Who: Resident persons are taxed on worldwide income
- Limit: GHS 7,056/yr ≈ $600
A resident individual's assessable income is worldwide income from all sources, taxed on a progressive scale reaching 35% above GHS 600,000 (≈ $51,000) a year; a non-resident individual is taxed on Ghana-source income at 25%.
Taxed on
Chargeable income from employment, business and investment, determined separately for each source, less allowable deductions; foreign tax credit is allowed. Residents, from 1 September 2026 (Income Tax (Amendment) Act, 2026, Act 1178), annual: first GHS 7,056 (≈ $600) nil; next 960 at 5%; next 1,200 at 10%; next 34,800 at 17.5%; next 192,000 at 25%; next 363,984 at 30%; above GHS 600,000 (≈ $51,000) at 35% (monthly: first GHS 588 (≈ $50) nil, then 80, 100, 2,900, 16,000 and 30,332, 35% above 50,000). Non-residents: Ghana-source income at 25%.
Who it applies to
- Resident persons are taxed on worldwide income; non-residents on income with a source in Ghana.
Exclusions
- Final withholding payments are excluded from chargeable income.
Limits
- GHS 7,056 a year (≈ $600) · Chargeable income up to this amount is tax-free for resident individuals from 1 September 2026 (GHS 588 (≈ $50) a month).
- GHS 600,000 a year (≈ $51,000) · Chargeable income above this amount is taxed at 35% for resident individuals.
Other taxes
Employees pay SSNIT at 5.5% of basic salary, deducted before PAYE, up to maximum insurable earnings of GHS 69,000 (≈ $5,860) a month in 2026. VAT and local levies apply separately.
Checked against official sources on , some details partly verifiedChange log
Checked against official sources on Change log
Ghana in pictures
Switch to later · 1
Spouse visas
PR via marriage
Path to permanent residence · 1
- PR · Indefinite residence status
Arriving in Ghana: first steps
- Get a medical report from the Ghana Immigration Service clinic in Accra.
- Obtain a police report from your home country.
- Make sure the enterprise is registered and has its GIPC certificate, tax clearance and audited accounts in order.
- Have the employer or school submit the application letter with your supporting documents.
- Keep your approval letter from the Ministry of the Interior with your permit paperwork.
- Check the enterprise's expatriate quota against its paid-up capital before you plan your work.
Questions people ask
How much do you need to invest for residency in Ghana?
Ghana has 3 investor routes. Investor · $200k joint venture asks for an investment of at least $200,000 and gives a first stay of 4 years that can be renewed. Investor · $1M trading firm asks for an investment of at least $1,000,000 and gives a first stay of 4 years that can be renewed. Investor · $500k own firm asks for an investment of at least $500,000 and gives a first stay of 4 years that can be renewed.
What work visas does Ghana offer foreigners?
Ghana has 1 work visa. Company work permit gives a first stay of 4 years that can be renewed.
How do I get a student visa for Ghana?
Ghana has 1 student visa. Student permit gives a first stay of 4 years that can be renewed.
Can I join my spouse or partner in Ghana?
Yes. Ghana has 1 spouse visa. Spouse of a citizen gives a first stay of 4 years that can be renewed.
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Sources (9)
Official sources
- Work and Residence Permit (Missionaries/NGOs/Immigrant Quota GIPC/Shareholders) · Ghana Immigration Service · checked 2026-10-10
- Ghana Investment Promotion Centre Act, 2013 (Act 865) · Ghana Investment Promotion Centre · checked 2026-10-12 · published 2013
- Immigration Service fees and charges (review of fees, effective 15 May 2025) · Ghana Immigration Service · checked 2026-10-11
- Residence Permit (Dependant) · Ghana Immigration Service · checked 2026-10-11
- ECOWAS Member States · Economic Community of West African States · checked 2026-10-11
- Frequently asked questions: residence permits · Ghana Immigration Service · checked 2026-10-11
- Immigration Act, 2000 (Act 573), sections 13, 15, 16 and 18 · Parliament of Ghana · checked 2026-10-12
- Immigration Regulations, 2001 (L.I. 1691), regulation 9 · Ghana Immigration Service (Legal Handbook) · checked 2026-10-11
- Residence Permit (Student) · Ghana Immigration Service · checked 2026-10-10