Ghana: country facts, travel advice and health

01Free

The 30-second card

CapitalAccraSource: Wikidata · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

LanguageEnglishSource: Wikidata · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

CurrencyGhanaian Cedi · GH₵ · GHSSource: Unicode CLDR · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

TimeUTC±0Source: IANA Time Zone Database · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

PlugsG, 230 VSource: Wikidata · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

DrivingOn the rightSource: Wikidata · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Emergency · tap to call

112All emergencies 999Police · Fire · Ambulance

Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Visa · United Kingdom passport

Visa neededSource: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

SIM and eSIM

Activating a local SIM requires a Ghanaian-issued ID card; a visa does not count.Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Apps locals use

MTN Mobile Money (MoMo): the most popular mobile money service for phone payments; needs a local SIM.Little: book rides by app.Google Maps: measure trip distances to judge a fair taxi fare.

Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Cards or cash

Mostly cashMostly cards

Step 2 of 5: Cash is the main way to pay; cards are accepted less often.Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Money in Ghana

Ghanaian Cedi · GH₵ · GHS

Mobile money phone payments are normal everywhere, for small and large amounts alike.

Bring only US dollar notes from the 2009 series or newer; older bills are refused.

In markets, start at about a third of the asking price and haggle upward.

Taxi drivers lower their price fastest once you start walking away.

Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Collect Ghanaian Cedi in CointryOur sister app for coin and banknote collectors · cointry.appOpen

Public holidays in the next 12 months

Fri, 4 Dec 2026 · Farmers' Day

Fri, 25 Dec 2026 · Christmas Day

Sat, 26 Dec 2026 · Boxing Day

Fri, 1 Jan 2027 · New Year's Day

Thu, 7 Jan 2027 · Constitution Day

Sat, 6 Mar 2027 · Independence Day

Fri, 26 Mar 2027 · Good Friday

Mon, 29 Mar 2027 · Easter Monday

Sat, 1 May 2027 · May Day

Thu, 1 Jul 2027 · Republic Day

Tue, 21 Sept 2027 · Founders Day

Source: Nager.Date · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

02Free

Safety today

Germany, the US and the UK publish their travel advice openly. Here is what those that cover Ghana say, side by side, checked daily.

German Foreign Office says

Travel warning for some regions

Calm

Caution ●

Serious

Don’t go

Some regions differ, see the official page.

Source: Auswärtiges Amt
Updated 13 Oct 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page

U.S. Department of State says

Exercise increased caution

Calm

Caution ●

Serious

Don’t go

Level 2 of 4

Source: travel.state.gov
Updated 6 Jul 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page

UK Foreign Office says

Advises against all but essential travel to parts of the country

Some regions differ, see the official page.

Source: GOV.UK
Updated 2 Jul 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page

Scams to know

Fake airport driver

Ask any driver meeting you at arrivals for ID before going with them.

Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Unofficial airport helpers

Accept help only from uniformed porters or staff showing photo ID.

Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Self-appointed photo fee collectors

Don't pay anyone who demands a fee to let you photograph famous sights.

Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Romance, business and job scams

Be wary of online friendships, deals or job offers that end in requests for money.

Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Card skimming

Keep your card in sight when paying and check ATMs for attached devices.

Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Countrywise is a summary. The official page is authoritative.

03Free

Health

Yellow fever proof required from 9 months; hepatitis A and B, typhoid advised; malaria risk.

Vaccinations

Proof of yellow fever vaccination is required on entry for everyone from 9 months old; hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid and routine shots are recommended, plus meningococcal vaccine for the northern meningitis belt in the dry season.

Malaria

Risk

Talk to a travel clinic 4–8 weeks before you go.

Source: CDC
Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page

Summarised from the CDC’s Travelers’ Health pages. Using them does not mean the CDC endorses Countrywise.

04Travel layer

In the app: the travel layer

The travel layer

Read a country like someone who’s been there.

What’s different from home, and what’s the lawMust-see places, free entry and World Heritage sites20 words to remember, with pronunciationStrange and surprising factsThe anthem and national symbolsSaved for offline use

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Must-see · 1Accra

The capital and the country's largest city

Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Strange & surprising · #1

The name means "Warrior King" and comes from the medieval Ghana Empire.

Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

National anthem: God Bless Our Homeland Ghana. The lyrics, translated, and the story are in the app. Source: Wikidata · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

2 World Heritage sites in Ghana, each with a photo and its story, in the app. Source: UNESCO World Heritage List

05Free

Deep facts

Economy
GDP	≈ $114.2 billionSource: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Per person	≈ $3,257Source: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Top exports	gold, crude petroleum, cocoa beans, manganese ore, cocoa paste (2023)Source: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

Population
Population	35.1 millionSource: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Median age	21.6 yearsSource: The World Factbook (archive) · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Life expectancy	70.1 yearsSource: The World Factbook (archive) · 2024 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Religions	Christian 71.3% (Pentecostal/Charismatic 31.6%, Protestant 17.4%, Catholic 10%, other 12.3%), Muslim 19.9%, traditionalist 3.2%, other 4.5%, none 1.1% (2021 est.)Source: The World Factbook (archive) · 2021 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

Geography
Area	238,533 km²Source: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Climate	tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in northSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Terrain	mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central areaSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

Government
Type of government	presidential republicSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Calling code	+233Source: libphonenumber · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

About the data

Written from the sources we link, and checked against them before each release. Countrywise summarises public sources. We are not an official source. For safety and entry rules, always follow the official page we link to.

From your foreign ministry when it publishes its advice openly (Germany, the US, the UK). Otherwise we show those three side by side. Checked daily, with the date next to every entry.

CDC · 24 Oct 2026 ↗GOV.UK · 24 Oct 2026 ↗IANA Time Zone Database · 23 Oct 2026 ↗libphonenumber · 23 Oct 2026 ↗Nager.Date · 23 Oct 2026 ↗The World Factbook (archive) · 23 Oct 2026 ↗Unicode CLDR · 23 Oct 2026 ↗Wikidata · 24 Oct 2026 ↗Wikivoyage · 24 Oct 2026 ↗World Bank · 23 Oct 2026 ↗

Flag artwork from flag-icons (MIT licence).