The certificate is mandatory
Ghana requires proof of yellow fever vaccination for arriving travellers, including people transiting from an infected area. The certificate becomes valid ten days after vaccination and, under World Health Organization rules, is generally accepted for life, but some officials and some destination countries still expect a recent one, so carry the original yellow card rather than a photograph of it.
- Get vaccinated at least ten days before departure; a same-week jab can be refused at the health desk.
- Keep the yellow card with your passport, not in checked luggage.
Screening and other paperwork
At Kotoka you may pass a health screening desk before immigration where the yellow fever card is inspected and you may be asked about symptoms. There is no routine requirement for a COVID test or a malaria certificate for entry, but requirements can change, so verify with Ghana's Port Health Authority or your airline shortly before travel. Some countries also require a yellow fever certificate when you return home from Ghana; check your own country's rules.
- If you cannot take the vaccine for medical reasons, get a signed exemption letter from a travel clinic and carry it with you.
- Screenshot your airline's current health requirements page in case of questions at check-in.
If you arrive without one
In practice, travellers without a valid certificate may be offered vaccination at the airport for a fee, or in some cases refused entry. Do not build a trip plan around that. Airport vaccination is inconsistent, and an argument at the health desk after a long-haul flight is a miserable way to start a holiday.
- Book the vaccine as part of a single pre-trip travel clinic visit alongside malaria prophylaxis.
- Carry regular prescription medicines in their original packaging with a doctor's letter.
Rules, fees and opening hours change. Confirm anything that matters before you rely on it.