The one vaccine you must have for Ghana is yellow fever. Other vaccines for Ghana are recommended rather than required, and what you need depends on your health, your itinerary and how long you stay. This guide separates the entry rule from the medical advice, so you know what can stop you at the border and what to discuss with a travel clinic.

Quick Answer: Yellow fever vaccination is required for travellers aged nine months and over arriving in Ghana, and it should be done at least 10 days before you travel. Carry the certificate. The CDC also recommends hepatitis A and B, typhoid and prescription malaria medicine, and other shots depending on your trip.

Yellow fever: the vaccine required for Ghana

The CDC's Ghana travel health page lists the yellow fever vaccine as required for all arriving travellers aged nine months and over. Ghana's missions have stated that you must be vaccinated at least 10 days before travel and show your certificate, and that health officials check it at the port of entry. The 10 days matters because the WHO says a yellow fever certificate is valid from 10 days after the vaccine is given.

How long the certificate lasts

The WHO states that a single dose provides lifelong protection, and since 2016 the international certificate has been valid for life, with no booster needed for entry. Some Ghana mission pages have still mentioned a ten year limit. If your certificate was issued more than ten years ago, ask the Ghana mission that handles your travel, or your airline, to confirm before you fly, and do not alter the certificate.

If you cannot have the vaccine

The WHO says some people should not be routinely vaccinated, including infants under nine months, people with severe egg protein allergy and people with severe immune deficiency, and pregnant women unless there is an outbreak. Ghana's missions ask for a doctor's medical certificate in these cases, so confirm the process with the mission before you travel instead of assuming the rule is waived.

Other vaccines the CDC recommends for Ghana

These are recommendations, not entry rules. The CDC advises:

  • Routine vaccines, including polio, to be up to date before every trip.
  • Hepatitis A for unvaccinated travellers aged one year and over.
  • Hepatitis B for unvaccinated travellers of all ages.
  • Typhoid for most travellers, alongside safe food and water habits.
  • Meningococcal vaccine for travellers going to meningitis belt areas in the dry season, roughly December to June.
  • Rabies, which a clinician may suggest before travel because rabid dogs are common and rabies vaccine may only be available at larger urban facilities.

The CDC also says cholera vaccination may be considered for travellers going to areas with active transmission. Your clinician can tell you which of these fit your plans.

Malaria prevention for Ghana

The CDC recommends that travellers to Ghana take prescription medicine to prevent malaria, and warns that malaria can be a deadly illness. The options it lists are atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine and tafenoquine. Which one suits you depends on your health history and other medicines, so get it prescribed by a clinician. Use insect repellent and cover up at dusk, and seek care quickly if you get a fever during or after your trip.

What to carry for Ghana

  • Your passport and the original yellow fever certificate, kept in your hand luggage.
  • A doctor's letter if you have a medical exemption.
  • A supply of any prescription malaria medicine for the full trip.
  • A note of your blood type and allergies, and your travel insurance details.

Stay connected

Mobile data helps when you need to find a clinic, call a driver or check an airline's entry requirements before you fly. An eSIM is the simplest way to have it from the moment you land.

Plan the rest of your trip

Once your health checks are done, see our Accra travel guide, the best places to visit across Ghana's regions and the December travel safety tips. If you are staying longer, our cost of living in Ghana guide covers budgets.