By AccraEvents.GH | Sponsored By IMPRAC Ghana
Navigating travel with a Ghanaian passport can prove challenging due to the stringent travel restrictions imposed on Ghanaian nationals. These limitations stem from past indiscretions and instances of undocumented immigration involving travelers utilizing Ghanaian passports. Consequently, the Ghanaian passport ranks 147th out of 199 globally, placing it among the less powerful passports worldwide. Passport strength is measured by the number of destinations accessible to holders without requiring a visa. Holders of weaker passports require visas and other forms of authorization to visit a larger number of countries, even for stays shorter than 90 days.
Despite the challenges posed by the ranking of the Ghanaian passport, Ghanaian passport holders still enjoy visa-free travel privileges in certain countries for tourism purposes. It's important to remember that regardless of whether travel is visa-free or requires a visa, tourists are strictly prohibited from engaging in employment activities in their destination country, as this constitutes illegal work.
VISA-FREE COUNTRIES FOR GHANAIANS
For visa-free travel, Ghanaians are typically allowed to stay for a maximum period of 90 days, after which they must depart the country, request an extension, or apply for the relevant visa that covers the purpose of the travel. Additionally, Ghanaian travelers must ensure that their passport remains valid for at least 6 months beyond their intended departure date and obtain travel health insurance as required by their destination country. Below are the countries that Ghanaian passport holders can visit for stays of 90 days or less without the need for a visa:
Bangladesh 🇧🇩
Barbados 🇧🇧
Belize 🇧🇿
Benin 🇧🇯
British Virgin Islands 🇻🇬
Burkina Faso 🇧🇫
Cape Verde 🇨🇻
Cook Islands 🇨🇰
Dominica 🇩🇲
Eswatini 🇸🇿
Fiji 🇫🇯
Grenada 🇬🇩
Guinea 🇬🇳
Guinea-Bissau 🇬🇼
Guyana 🇬🇾
Haiti ðŸ‡ðŸ‡¹
Ivory Coast 🇨🇮
Jamaica 🇯🇲
Kenya 🇰🇪
Kiribati 🇰🇮
Lesotho 🇱🇸
Liberia 🇱🇷
Mali 🇲🇱
Mauritius 🇲🇺
Micronesia 🇫🇲
Montserrat 🇲🇸
Niger 🇳🇪
Nigeria 🇳🇬
Niue 🇳🇺
Pakistan 🇵🇰
Philippines 🇵ðŸ‡
Rwanda 🇷🇼
Saint Kitts and Nevis 🇰🇳
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 🇻🇨
Samoa 🇼🇸
Senegal 🇸🇳
Sierra Leone 🇸🇱
Singapore 🇸🇬
South Africa 🇿🇦
Tanzania 🇹🇿
Gambia 🇬🇲
Togo 🇹🇬
Trinidad and Tobago 🇹🇹
Uganda 🇺🇬
Vanuatu 🇻🇺
Zimbabwe 🇿🇼
WHAT YOU NEED FOR YOUR VISA APPLICATION
For a standard visa application to most countries, travelers need to provide their background information as well as the details of the purpose of their trip. This includes family details, contact persons at home and in the destination country, proof of residence at home and at the destination country, proof of sufficient funds for sustenance during the travel, evidence of anchorage that proves the traveller is likely to return home and will not engage in undocumented migratory practices, personal bank statements, criminal records, birth certificates, proof of employment, marriage certificates if applicable, invitation letters and a few other authentic documents that can certify the information provided during the application. Any false documentation or misrepresentation on a visa application can lead to a rejection of the applicant, and will lead to sanctions and additional scrutiny during all future visa application processes. In this case, applicants DO NOT receive a refund for the rejected visa application.
As travelers accumulate travel experience, they enhance their credibility as a traveler (ie. the more a person travels, the more trustworthy they become as a visa applicant). This leads to easier and smoother subsequent visa application processes in the future. Certain visas offer access to multiple countries and opportunities. For instance, Ghanaians with a Schengen visa can visit:
Austria 🇦🇹
Belgium 🇧🇪
Croatia ðŸ‡ðŸ‡·
Czechia 🇨🇿
Denmark 🇩🇰
Estonia 🇪🇪
Finland 🇫🇮
France 🇫🇷
Germany 🇩🇪
Greece 🇬🇷
Hungary ðŸ‡ðŸ‡º
Iceland 🇮🇸
Italy 🇮🇹
Latvia 🇱🇻
Liechtenstein 🇱🇮
Lithuania 🇱🇹
Luxembourg 🇱🇺
Malta 🇲🇹
the Netherlands 🇳🇱
Norway 🇳🇴
Poland 🇵🇱
Portugal 🇵🇹
Slovakia 🇸🇰
Slovenia 🇸🇮
Spain 🇪🇸
Sweden 🇸🇪
Switzerland 🇨ðŸ‡
Whereas Ghanaians with a US visa can visit:
Albania 🇦🇱
Anguilla 🇦🇮
Argentina 🇦🇷
Aruba 🇦🇼
Bahamas 🇧🇸
Belize 🇧🇿
Bermuda 🇧🇲
Bonaire 🇧🇶
Bosnia and Herzegovina 🇧🇦
British Virgin Islands 🇻🇬
Cayman Islands 🇰🇾
Chile 🇨🇱
Costa Rica 🇨🇷
Colombia 🇨🇴
Curaçao 🇨🇼
Dominican Republic 🇩🇴
Georgia 🇬🇪
Guatemala 🇬🇹
Mexico 🇲🇽
Panama 🇵🇦
Peru 🇵🇪
Saba
St Eustatius
St Maarten
Turks and Caicos 🇹🇨
United Arab Emirates 🇦🇪
United States of America 🇺🇸
Having certain visas also makes it easier to acquire other visas. For instance, a Ghanaian with a US visa qualifies for an E-Turkish visa on arrival to Turkey, however travelers need to verify this information before they set off to avoid any disappointments and mishaps as requirements and regulations change often.
TOP DESTINATIONS OF GHANAIANS THAT REQUIRE VISAS
Throughout the years, Ghanaians have migrated to OECD countries like the USA, Germany, the UK, Italy, and Spain at the highest annual rates. These 5 nations received approximately 85% of Ghanaian nationals immigrating to countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) between 2000 and 2019. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international body dedicated to shaping policies that foster global prosperity, equality, opportunity and well-being for all.
Within the OECD, the United States has by far attracted the largest annual flows of Ghanaian nationals, and since 2000 this number only continued to grow till it stagnated in 2017 after a change in the US immigration policies concerning Ghanaians. Due to a huge influx of problematic identifiably non-Ghanaian travelers who arrived in the US on Ghanaian passports, a temporary restriction was placed till the situation was resolved. Thereafter, flows of Ghanaians to the USA increased and were the 3rd highest among African countries after Nigeria and Egypt.
The migration of highly skilled migrants from Ghanaians to the United Kingdom has only expanded since Ghana’s independence. Between 2000 and 2019, flows to the United Kingdom almost quadrupled. Flows from Ghana to Germany and Italy have also increased over the past decade, reflecting a diversification in the destination countries of Ghanaians. Flows to Italy even exceeded those to the United Kingdom in recent years, with the number of Ghanaian nationals arriving in Italy rising by 66% between 2000 and 2008. Similarly, flows to Germany increased almost five-fold between 2008 and 2019 (close to 5,000 persons in 2019).
HOW YOU CAN ALSO TRAVEL SAFELY OUT OF GHANA
The information in this article was provided by the International Migration Policy Recruitment and Advisory Center in Ghana (IMPRAC Ghana) - a registered Non-Governmental Organization and premier recruitment service for Ghanaians looking for opportunities abroad. IMPRAC Ghana works with the relevant government institutions like the Ministry of Labour, the ILO, IOM (the UN Migration Agency) and more to match Ghanaians with opportunities the legal and humane way. IMPRAC Ghana can also assist applicants to find job placements locally.
IMPRAC Ghana offers comprehensive assistance for individuals navigating the immigration process, covering various aspects from job search assistance to health testing requirements. Their services extend to facilitating recruitment for both international and local companies, as well as providing advisory and policy support to governments pertaining to the movement of persons both to and from Ghana. Serving as a vital intermediary, IMPRAC Ghana collaborates with international companies seeking Ghanaian workers, fostering direct connections between Ghana, foreign governments, and international corporations. Notably unlike typical recruitment agencies, IMPRAC Ghana does not demand a recruitment payment or fee from applicants even after they secure a job through the platform. maintaining a commitment to ethical and lawful practices. With extensive experience in international migration recruitment and job placement abroad, IMPRAC Ghana offers travel advice and guides aspiring travelers in identifying promising job opportunities in foreign countries, drawing from their wealth of knowledge and firsthand experiences in the field.
