By Americans need a visa to enter Ghana, and in 2026 there are two ways to get one: the old route through the Embassy of Ghana in Washington, which is cheap but slow, and the new e-visa portal the government launched in May, which is fast but costs more than four times as much. Which one you choose depends on how soon you are travelling and how much you are prepared to pay for speed.
Ghana visa for US citizens, at a glance
Embassy, Washington DC: US$60 single entry, US$100 multiple entry; 15 to 20 business days (rush: US$100 / US$200, 7 business days)
e-Visa (evisa.immigration.gov.gh): US$260 single entry, US$468 multiple entry; 3 to 5 business days (48-hour and 5-hour options cost more)
Yellow fever certificate required for entry. Visa on arrival should not be counted on.
Route one: the Embassy of Ghana in Washington
This is the route most people in the diaspora know. You fill in the application online on the Embassy’s website, print it, and post it to the Consular Section in Washington together with your passport, one passport photograph, the supporting documents and the receipts for the visa fee and return postage. There is no walk-in service; everything goes by mail.
The Embassy lists a single-entry visa at US$60 and a multiple-entry visa at US$100 for standard processing, which takes 15 to 20 business days from the day the Embassy receives your envelope. If you are in a hurry, rush processing in seven business days costs US$100 for single entry and US$200 for multiple entry. A single-entry visa must be used within three months of the date it is issued; the validity of a multiple-entry visa is at the discretion of the consular officer. Fees are not refundable, and visas are not issued in passports with less than six months left on them.
Add the postage both ways and the two to four weeks you will be without your passport, and the Embassy route is really a six-week project. Start early.
Route two: the e-visa
On May 25, 2026, President Mahama launched Ghana’s first e-visa, run by the Ghana Immigration Service with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at evisa.immigration.gov.gh. You upload your passport data page, a photo, your travel plans and your yellow fever certificate, pay by card, and the approved visa is sent to you electronically; your passport never leaves your hands.
The price of that convenience is steep. As reported at the launch, a single-entry e-visa costs US$260 with normal processing of three to five business days, US$338 for priority processing in 48 hours and US$442 for express processing in five hours. A multiple-entry e-visa is US$468, US$608 and US$796 respectively. The portal has drawn complaints about the fees, about foreign cards being declined by fraud filters, and about approval emails landing in spam, so call your bank before you pay and check your application status on the portal rather than waiting for the email. Make sure the name on your card matches the name in your passport exactly.
The e-visa makes sense if you are travelling within two weeks, if you cannot afford to post your passport away, or if you live far from Washington and New York. For a December trip you are planning in September, the Embassy route saves you US$200.
Documents you will need either way
A passport valid for at least six months beyond your travel date, with at least one blank page. A passport-size photograph. A yellow fever vaccination certificate, which is checked at Kotoka and which you will not be allowed in without. A letter of invitation from a host in Ghana, or a hotel booking if you have no host. A return or onward ticket. Proof that you can support yourself while you are here, usually a recent bank statement. If you are travelling on business, a letter from your company stating the purpose of the trip. For children, a copy of the birth certificate, a notarised letter of consent signed by both parents, and copies of both parents’ photo ID.
Is there visa on arrival for Americans?
Not one you should plan around. Ghana has opened visa on arrival to all visitors for short periods in the past, most famously during the Year of Return in December 2019 and the December holiday seasons that followed, but there is no standing visa-on-arrival facility for US citizens. What exists is an emergency entry visa for travellers from outside Africa who genuinely could not obtain a visa in time, and it requires pre-approval before you board. Since the e-visa now issues in days, the excuse for arriving without one has largely gone.
Ghanaians with American passports, and the diaspora
If you were born in Ghana or have a Ghanaian parent but travel on a US passport, you still need a visa unless you hold a dual citizenship certificate or a Ghana Card. Many Ghanaians abroad find it cheaper in the long run to go through the dual citizenship process once and never pay for a visa again. Holders of the Right of Abode, which Ghana grants to people of African descent in the diaspora, also enter without a visa. Both are covered in our guide to moving to Ghana from the US.
Since May 2026, holders of African passports pay no visa fee at all and instead obtain a free electronic travel authorisation on the same portal. That does not extend to African Americans travelling on US passports, who pay the standard fee.
How long can you stay?
The visa gets you to the border; the immigration officer at Kotoka decides how long you can stay, and the usual stamp is up to 60 days. If you need longer, the Ghana Immigration Service extends visitor permits month by month at GH¢65 a month for non-ECOWAS nationals under its current fee schedule. Overstaying attracts a penalty and an awkward conversation at the airport on your way out, so extend before the stamp runs out.
How much does a Ghana visa cost for US citizens?
US$60 for single entry or US$100 for multiple entry through the Embassy in Washington with standard processing, and US$260 or US$468 through the e-visa portal with normal processing.
How long does a Ghana visa take?
Fifteen to twenty business days through the Embassy, seven with rush service, plus postage time. The e-visa takes three to five business days, or 48 hours and five hours for the priority and express tiers.
Can I apply for a Ghana visa in New York?
Yes. Ghana also has a Consulate General in New York that handles visa applications for its area of jurisdiction, and the process is the same mail-in system. Check which mission covers your state before you post anything.
Do I need a yellow fever vaccine for Ghana?
Yes, and you need the certificate to prove it, both for the visa application and at the airport. Get the jab at least ten days before you fly, because that is when it becomes valid.
Sources: Embassy of Ghana, Washington DC, visa requirements page; Ghana Immigration Service e-visa launch of May 25, 2026 as reported by VisasNews and Techlabari; Ghana Immigration Service fees and charges effective May 15, 2025; Ghana-Net e-visa guidance verified September 10, 2026. Fees change, so confirm on the Embassy website or the e-visa portal before you pay. Last updated Monday, October 19, 2026.
