Rules for overlanding in Ghana
Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 28 May 2026.
Which licence you need
- All vehicles — An International Driving Permit is what the ministry lists for Ghana, without naming a convention model. Check what applies to the licence you hold.
An International Driving Permit states the categories it covers: check yours covers what you will actually drive. A car licence does not cover a motorcycle, and a heavy camper or a truck can need a higher category.
At the wheel
- Insurance — Third-party liability cover is compulsory.
- Temporary import — A carnet de passages en douane is required for a vehicle brought in temporarily.
- Alcohol — A driver with a blood alcohol level at or above 0.8% faces a fine of between 8,000 and 24,000 GHC and/or imprisonment. A driver who refuses the test can be arrested and tested in hospital.
- Helmets and seatbelts — Helmets are compulsory for motorcyclists. Seatbelts are compulsory for the driver and every passenger.
- Night driving — Fatal crashes on rural roads are frequent and the ministry says the hours of darkness are absolutely to be avoided for road travel. Do not travel after sunset, and move in a group where possible.
- Car with a driver — Collective transport is to be avoided outright. Hiring a car with a driver, bookable through the large hotels, is recommended and not excessively expensive. Taxis have no meters, and Uber and private minibuses also operate, so agree the fare in advance.
What catches travellers out
- Drugs — Penalties for use and possession of narcotics are fairly heavy, as are those for offences against the person and morality, and they apply to foreigners who commit them.
- Same-sex relations — The Ghanaian penal code treats "unnatural acts" as offences even between consenting adults and punishes them with up to three years in prison, and the law allows sexual acts between people of the same sex to be punished with fines or prison. Perception of LGBTIQ+ people has worsened in recent years, with episodes of intolerance.
- Currency and biometrics — Cash over USD 10,000 must be declared at customs. Everyone arriving in or leaving the country is fingerprinted on both hands and photographed, as well as showing a passport with a valid visa.
- Gold and scams — Numerous scams target foreigners, often through the internet and then requests for money, or over purchases of gold and plots of land. Small-scale gold mining is reserved to licensed Ghanaian citizens, and foreign offenders face arrest and expulsion from the country.
Before you rely on this
This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 28 May 2026. We summarise in good faith, but we cannot guarantee it is accurate, current or complete, and we take no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of it. Rules change without notice and are applied by officials at the border, not by websites. Always read the original source and the travel advice your own government publishes for Ghana before you travel. GuideMeet has no way of checking whether an individual guide meets any standard mentioned here — ask them directly.
Source: Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated 28 May 2026. Last checked by GuideMeet on 2026-09-20.