Requirements To Travel To Ghana From Nigeria (2023)

Relations between Nigeria and Ghana have always been good; these are the two leading countries in West Africa. Requirements to travel to Ghana from Nigeria therefore reflect the extraordinary brotherly bond between these two former British Colonies who share a similar history. As a matter of fact, there are plans in place to make it possible in the future for Nigerians and Ghanaians to visit each other’s countries even more freely.

The necessary things when traveling to Ghana from Nigeria are just your identification documents and documentation showing that you are not a health risk. As long as you are not a criminal; and you have not been flagged for any dangerous activity you can just get your papers and either fly, drive or sail into Ghana without any obstructions.

The great relationship between Nigeria and Ghana is something that must be preserved; which is why Nigerians who travel to Ghana must be of their best behavior so as to continue to give their home country a good image.

Requirements To Travel To Ghana From Nigeria

There are no major differences to the requirements to travel from Nigeria to Ghana; regardless of whether you are travelling by road or by air, or even by water. As a Nigerian who is of good standing with the law you are quite welcome to visit Ghana; just ensure you have prepared yourself for the trip by getting your:

Nigerian International Passport/ ECOWAS Passport

Yellow Card

Covid 19 Vaccination

Why You Need The Above Documentation

You need a Nigerian Passport to identify yourself as a Nigerian. The alternative is to have an ECOWAS passport which identifies you as a citizen of West Africa; which makes you practically a citizen of Ghana. However you must be aware that the passports have expiry dates and you must ensure that your passport is valid all the while you are going to be in the foreign country.

You can get your international passport by going online to the website of the Nigeria Immigration Service; the process is very straightforward, and you will just fill the form. Payments can be done online and you will receive the confirmation email telling you to go to the passport office for the interview and to get your biometrics done.

However, the process of getting Nigerian international passports can take quite some time to process; it would be a good idea to apply for your international passport in Nigeria well ahead of your intended travel time. You could apply up to 3 months in advance.

The Yellow Card

The Yellow Card has been a way of controlling the spread of Yellow Fever which has for a long time been a serious health risk in West Africa as well as in other regions like South America. This card shows that the holder has received a shot of the yellow fever vaccine, and is not a health risk when he travels to another country.

You can get a Yellow Card at the Port Health office near the international airport. It is advisable to get your yellow card well in advance of travelling; one can have his travel plans disrupted by not getting the Yellow Cards, and sometimes officials can extort a person for not having the Yellow Card. If you go ahead of your expected departure date, you can get the yellow card for about N1000.

Covid 19 Vaccination

Covid 19 Vaccination has become a priority for international travel; Ghana now insists that all persons coming into the country must be vaccinated against this disease, and must have documents to show that they have been vaccinated. Therefore, while planning to travel to Ghana one must first go to a nearby public hospital in order to be vaccinated.

There is no fee attached to this vaccination; although the process may take several weeks because there is usually a long line of people who have registered their names, and are waiting for their turn to get vaccinated.

Other Things To Have Before Travelling To Ghana From Nigeria

Even though it is not stipulated by law; it is a good idea to have some other means of identification with you before leaving Nigeria to Ghana. You can use your driver’s license, or your student/work ID.

It is also a good idea to make your accommodation plans ahead of your travel. This will help you feel settled and secured as you make your way to Ghana; and relieve your stress when you arrive, which could be late at night.

Choosing Your Means Of Transport To Ghana

Of course the easiest way to travel to Ghana from Nigeria is to go by air. A flight from Nigeria (Lagos) to Accra takes about 1 hour 10 minutes, which is even shorter than some flights within the country. However, if you are going by road, it is possible to spend somewhere between 17-24 hours on the road. If you go by air, you only have to book the flight with your travel agency or directly with the airline.

If you decide to go by road, you have several options; almost all the major transport companies in Nigeria have routes to Ghana; even at some major parks like Mile 2 in Lagos, you can get small buses going to Ghana. The prices are quite good; and the buses are even comfortable.

If you decide to go by road you will avail yourself to all the wonderful scenery along the road; you will get to see some of West Africa on your journey. You will see the beautiful houses and homesteads along the road, as well as the farms and markets. You will see the different borders and the way our enterprising people turn the borders into marketplaces where they sell the products that are made in each of those locations.

You can even interact with traders and hawkers along the road or at the borders; you will get to see first-hand some of the challenges facing Africa. As soon as you land, you can call a contact or a cab to drive you to an affordable hotel in Ghana.

Consider Money During Your Preparations

Depending on how long you are going to stay in Ghana there are several money options that you have to consider. For example; if you are going by air then you can exchange some cash to US Dollars before you embark on your journey. Getting to Ghana you will find that you can pay for some services, including a hotel stay with Dollars- but they will almost certainly not accept your Nigerian Naira in Ghana.

Interestingly this may be where travelling by road has the advantage; you can change all your Naira to Ghana Cedis when you get to the Aflao border, which is the border between Togo and Ghana. When returning from your trip you can also change any Cedis left with you back to Naira, at the same border.

Another alternative is to have a Dollar Credit Card with you. You can then pay with the card for most of your purchases or accommodation in Ghana using that card. You can even make withdrawals at an ATM, and then change the money to Cedis at any Bureau De Change if need be.

Sometimes, you can leave someone in charge of your finances back in Nigeria; and ask the person to send you only specific amounts of money that you may need for your immediate use. This will help abate any fears you may have security wise.

Related:

• Requirements To Travel To Dubai From Nigeria
• What Do I Need To Travel To Nigeria from the USA?

Finally

A lot of changes are being worked on at the moment; and very soon, Nigerians and Ghanaians will see each other like real brothers. Even though the requirements to travel to Ghana from Nigeria are little more than documentation for record purposes, it will become even simpler in the future when the whole of West Africa becomes a unitary economic bloc.