Ghana Travel Safety

Road safety

Road conditions are generally good in cities, but poor in rural areas. Restrict travel outside urban areas to daylight hours. Be very careful when driving in Ghana. People may try to get you to stop your vehicle. Pedestrians may bang on your car, making it appear as if they have been hit, and drivers may attempt to cause minor vehicle collisions. Crowds gathering because of these types of incidents can become dangerous. Drive with your doors locked and proceed immediately to the nearest police station to make a report if you are involved in any traffic incident. Inadequate lighting, pedestrians and roaming livestock pose risks. Traffic accidents are common on the road from Accra to Cape Coast and Kumasi.

Precautions

Ensure that personal belongings, including your passport and other travel documents, are secure at all times. Violent crimes, including armed robbery, occur. Be aware of your surroundings and avoid walking alone or displaying signs of wealth. If you are the victim of an armed robbery, do not resist. Attackers have sometimes seriously assaulted their victims for failing to comply or not complying quickly enough. Thieves sometimes pose as police officers to stop and demand money from foreigners.

Identification

You should carry a photocopy of your travel documents and keep the originals in a secure place.

Public transportation

Many buses are not well-maintained and have poor safety standards. Privately owned minibuses, locally known as tro-tros, have a high accident record due to road conditions, poor maintenance and unsafe driving practices. Private intercity buses are available and they are often better maintained and safer.

Taxis

Taxis have poor safety standards and not well-maintained. Agree to taxis fares before departure to avoid disputes over excessive rates. You can also avoid fare disputes by using app-based ride-shared services.

Women's safety

Based on the crime situation of the Ghana, women should be vigilant all the time and aware of the surroundings. Avoid dark or non-tourist areas at night. Instead try to be around larger crowds, whether they are fellow tourists or local citizens. Females should be cautious while dealing with strangers and acquaintances. Women may be subject to unpleasant male attention, sexual harassment and verbal abuse. Avoid flash of money or valuables in public. Exercise a high degree of caution during travel.

Fraud

Credit card and ATM Credit card and ATM fraud is widespread. Pay with cash whenever possible. Be cautious if using debit or credit cards: pay careful attention when your cards are being handled by others, use ATMs located in well-lit public areas or inside a bank or business, avoid using card readers with an irregular or unusual feature, cover the keypad with one hand when entering your PIN, check for any unauthorized transactions on your account statements.

Piracy

Pirate attacks and armed robbery against ships occur in coastal waters. Mariners should take appropriate precautions.

Scams

Be wary of unsolicited emails offering enticing business or financial opportunities, often related to the gold industry. Ensure that any business opportunity is legitimate before travelling to Ghana. Do not travel to Ghana with the intention to obtain restitution after losing money to a fraud. The perpetrators of these scams have often extorted and at times physically assaulted foreigners when confronted. If you are travelling to Ghana to meet someone you met online (for example, for friendship, business, or romance), be aware that you may be the victim of a scam. Foreigners are often lured to Ghana to meet their online contact in person, but once there, they become victims of crime. Victims have lost thousands of dollars as a result of those scams. In some cases, the victim is arrested for failing to pay debts accrued locally or failing to pay exorbitant bills racked up as a result of a scam. Be wary of locals who offer you steep discounts on tours, hotels or other services. If you have lost money to such scams, do not attempt to confront your scammers. Seek assistance from local authorities or local legal aid.

Crime

Crime is a problem in large cities, including Accra and its surroundings. Petty crime, such as pickpocketing and purse snatching, is common. Attacks by individuals on motorbikes are also common. Theft of luggage and belongings occurs in hotels. Accra:The Greater Accra neighborhoods of Agbogbloshie, Ashaiman, Avenor, Nima (except the main highway), Sowutuom and Sukura have been the sites of violent crime. Avoid going into these neighbourhoods, particularly at night. Home invasions occur and thieves target affluent areas in Accra where foreigners live. Some thieves carry firearms. On the road:Criminals often target foreigners travelling in taxis at night and violent robberies are frequent. If you have to use a taxi, ensure that there is no other passenger in the car and try to limit trips to daytime hours. There have been common occurrences of armed robberies of vehicles at night in areas such as Kumasi, Takoradi and other parts of the Ashanti region. Armed attacks at night have also occurred along the Accra–Tema and Accra–Kumasi–Tamale highways. Theft occurs at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra. Be wary of unsolicited assistance from uniformed porters or officials appearing to work at the airport. Official airport employees wear identification cards bearing both their name and photograph. If a driver is supposed to meet you at the airport, confirm their identity before getting in the car. If not being met, use only officially marked taxis to travel from the airport into the city.

Terrorism

There is a threat of terrorism. Always be aware of your surroundings when in public places. Terrorist attacks could occur at any time. Targets could include:government buildings, including schools, places of worship, airports and other transportation hubs and networks, public areas such as tourist attractions, restaurants, bars, coffee shops, shopping centres, markets, hotels and other sites frequented by foreigners.

LGBT

There is a zero tolerance towards lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Ghana. This could lead to a custodial sentence between 3 and 25 years. Anti LGBT rhetoric/hate speech by religious leaders and government officials and a local media that tends to sensationalise homosexuality, can incite homophobia against the LGBT community. Although there's a small gay community, there is no "scene" and most Ghanaians don't accept that such relationships exist.

Illegal or restricted activities

Smoking is prohibited in public areas, but sometimes permitted in private businesses, such as bars or restaurants. Photography of sensitive installations, including military sites, government buildings, bridges and Accra's international airport, is prohibited. Seek permission before taking photos of official buildings and individuals. Wearing military clothing or clothing that has military elements (for example, camouflage) is prohibited.

Driving

You must have an international driving license that you can use for 12 months. After this period, you will need to obtain a Ghanaian driver's license. You must apply for your Ghanaian permit as soon as you obtain resident status. Vehicles with temporary license plates are prohibited from traveling in Ghana between 6 PM and 6 AM. In case of violation, the vehicle can be seized for the night and the driver can be fined.