Combined work and residence authorisation for a lawfully admitted foreign national employed by a Ghanaian company.
Eligibility: 1Documents: 2Report facts: 10
Official government source: gis.gov.gh · checked 2026-07-27
Western Africa · Immigration
Ghana
Ghana sits in Western Africa. Its immigration system runs 14 distinct routes — led by short stays and visits, work and family, each set out in official law. All 14 cite an official government source, shown on the route with the date we last read it. Who actually qualifies depends on your full profile.
- Immigration routes
- 14across 9 route categories, each set out in official law
- Source-cited routes
- 14 of 14cite an official government source, with the date we last read it
- Largest category
- Short stays and visits3 of the 14 routes — see them under Short stays and visits below
- Region
- Western Africa
- Capital
- Accra
- Population
- 35,064,272
- Official language
- English
- Currency
- GHS
- Time zone
- UTC
Source-cited pathways
Immigration routes
All 14 routes, grouped by purpose — 14 of 14 cite an official government source directly.
Work
2 routes
Sponsored residence and work authorisation for a qualifying missionary or registered NGO worker.
Eligibility: 1Documents: 3Process & costs: 1Report facts: 6
Official government source: gis.gov.gh · checked 2026-07-27
Starting a business
1 route
Residence route for qualifying shareholders or workers covered by a GIPC, immigrant-quota or free-zone approval.
Eligibility: 1Documents: 1Process & costs: 1Report facts: 9
Official government source: gis.gov.gh · checked 2026-07-27
Study
1 route
Residence permit for a foreign national admitted to an educational institution in Ghana.
Eligibility: 2Documents: 2Process & costs: 2Report facts: 4
Official government source: gis.gov.gh · checked 2026-07-27
Family
2 routes
Residence authorisation for a qualifying dependant of an expatriate or of a Ghanaian who holds a foreign passport.
Documents: 2Process & costs: 1Report facts: 8
Official government source: gis.gov.gh · checked 2026-07-27
Indefinite residence for a qualifying foreign spouse of a Ghanaian citizen with the prescribed residence history.
Documents: 1Report facts: 11
Official government source: gis.gov.gh · checked 2026-07-27
Living from your own income
1 route
Published residence-permit purpose for retirement; the authority does not publish a route-specific online checklist or financial threshold.
Eligibility: 1Documents: 1Process & costs: 2Report facts: 5
Official government source: gis.gov.gh · checked 2026-08-03
Long-term residence
1 route
Permanent residence status for a qualifying long-term foreign resident, including the separate statutory conditions applicable to a foreign spouse.
Eligibility: 1Report facts: 12
Official government source: gis.gov.gh · checked 2026-07-27
Short stays and visits
3 routes
Exceptional entry approval for a traveller arriving without a visa where the Ghana Immigration Service grants an emergency entry visa.
Documents: 3Process & costs: 1Report facts: 4
Official government source: gis.gov.gh · checked 2026-07-27
Mission-issued entry visa for a visa-required traveller visiting Ghana for an approved short-stay purpose.
Documents: 3Process & costs: 2Report facts: 3
Official government source: gis.gov.gh · checked 2026-07-27
In-country extension for a visitor who needs to remain beyond the original authorised stay.
Documents: 1Process & costs: 3Report facts: 4
Official government source: gis.gov.gh · checked 2026-07-27
Humanitarian protection
1 route
In-country protection application to the Ghana Refugee Board through an authorised receiving channel.
Process & costs: 2Report facts: 5
Official government source: grb.gov.gh · checked 2026-07-27
Ancestry and return
2 routes
Permanent status for a person who lost Ghanaian citizenship through acquisition of a foreign nationality.
Eligibility: 1Documents: 1Process & costs: 1Report facts: 7
Official government source: gis.gov.gh · checked 2026-07-27
Discretionary permanent status for an eligible person of African descent in the diaspora who demonstrates substantial links and contribution.
Eligibility: 1Documents: 1Process & costs: 1Report facts: 7
Official government source: gis.gov.gh · checked 2026-07-27
Official sources
- Ghana Immigration ServiceGovernment
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