Ghana

Obtaining a Ghana visa on arrival requires a local contact in the country to secure a Visa Approval Letter beforehand.

How It Works

A friend, relative, or travel agent in Ghana applies at the Immigration Service (GIS) headquarters in Accra. Once approved, they scan and send you the approval letter. You print it and show it to travel to Ghana, where you receive the visa sticker at the airport.

Requirements: For Your Contact in Ghana

You must send your contact:

A clear, color scan of your passport photo page (valid for 6 months past arrival).
A copy of your confirmed flight itinerary to Accra.
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Accommodation

What Your Contact Must Do in Accra

They must go to the GIS headquarters to:

Submit an application letter explaining who you are, the purpose of your trip, arrival dates, and where you will stay.
Provide a copy of their Ghanaian ID or passport.
Pay a non-refundable application fee.
Wait for and receive the official Visa Approval Letter, then scan and email it to you.

What You Must Do Before Traveling

Print a copy of the Visa Approval Letter.
Have an original Yellow Fever vaccination certificate. This is mandatory for entry.

Arrival at Accra Airport

You must fly into Accra Airport. This e-visa does not work at land borders.

The E-Visa Office: When you land, follow the signs for "E-Visa" before you go to the main immigration line.
Biometrics: You will show them your printed Pre-Enrollment document. They will take your fingerprints and a digital photo.
The Sticker: They will print the visa sticker and put it in your Iraqi passport right there.

The Health Requirement (Yellow Fever)

You cannot enter the country without a Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate (The "Yellow Card").

The health officers in Accra airport will check it. (If you don’t have one, don’t worry; they can vaccinate you at Accra airport for a fee)

Summary of Requirements for Iraqi Citizens:

Passport: Valid for more than 6 months.
Visa approval letter Cost: $150-300
Vaccine: Yellow Fever (Mandatory).
Entry Point: Only through Airport.

My Experience

After checking the visa requirements for Ghana with an Iraqi passport, I reached out to my friend, Peshawa Halabjayi, who had visited previously. He referred me to his Ghanaian contact, Sheikh Musa, who assists with travel approval letters for a fee.

The requirements were straightforward:

A scan of my passport bio page.
A digital passport photo.
A confirmed flight ticket. (Note: I actually used a flight reservation "on hold" and edited the document to remove the "hold" status—luckily, it worked!)

I had to specify my port of entry, so I chose Accra International Airport (ACC). This meant I could only enter by air, not by land. I was charged around $300, which covered everything, including the visa fee. After applying, I received my approval letter about 10 days later—quite close to my travel date! It was for a single-entry visa valid for 30 days.

Once I landed in Accra, the process was incredibly smooth:

Health Check: They first verified my Yellow Fever vaccination certificate.
Visa Counter: I went to the "Visa on Arrival" window. A very friendly officer welcomed me and scanned the QR code from my digital copy (I had forgotten to print it, but she kindly accepted it directly from my phone).
The Sticker: The officer’s name was Love, and she truly lived up to it! She printed the visa, placed the sticker in my passport, and I was good to go. First impressions really do last—huge thanks to the Ghanaian immigration officers for the warm welcome.

I traveled in January 2026 and stayed for over a week, visiting both Accra and Kumasi. Ghana is truly a land of warm, friendly people, and I enjoyed my trip to the fullest. Since English is the official language, communication was effortless, and everyone was incredibly helpful. I highly recommend visiting!