By Aaron Hammond 
New data have shed light on the global standing of the Ghanaian passport, the number of destinations Ghanaians can visit without obtaining a traditional visa in advance, and the level of access available across different regions of the world. According to data from independent platform Passport reports, which publishes passport reports covering 199 countries in 34 languages, the Ghanaian passport is ranked 123rd globally. It has a Mobility Score of 72, meaning Ghanaian passport holders can access 72 destinations through visa-free entry, visa on arrival or Electronic Travel Authorization without first obtaining a conventional visa. Ghana’s global access rate stands at 36.4 percent, while 126 destinations still require a visa or prior approval.
42 COUNTRIES OFFER VISA-FREE ACCESS
Ghanaian passport holders can currently travel to 42 destinations without a visa, representing 21.2 percent of the destinations covered in the report.
The visa-free list includes the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Eswatini, Fiji, The Gambia, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Micronesia, Niger, Nigeria, the Philippines, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Tanzania, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The permitted length of stay varies by destination. Barbados and Dominica allow stays of up to 180 days, while Fiji and Vanuatu allow up to 120 days. A number of destinations, including the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe, allow stays of up to 90 days under the conditions listed in the report.
26 DESTINATIONS OFFER VISA ON ARRIVAL OR SIMPLIFIED ENTRY
The Ghanaian passport also has access to 26 destinations through visa on arrival or similar simplified entry arrangements, accounting for 13.1 percent of the destinations assessed.
These include Bolivia, Burundi, Cambodia, Comoros, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, India, Jordan, Lebanon, Macao, Madagascar, Malaysia, the Maldives, Mauritania, Palau, Saint Lucia, Samoa, South Sudan, Suriname, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu, Uzbekistan and Viet Nam.
Some of these destinations operate eVisa systems alongside visa-on-arrival arrangements. Ghanaian travellers can, for example, stay for up to 90 days in destinations such as Djibouti, Ethiopia, Gabon, Madagascar, Mauritania, Samoa, South Sudan, Suriname and Viet Nam, depending on the applicable entry conditions.
4 DESTINATIONS AVAILABLE THROUGH eTA
Another four destinations are accessible to Ghanaian passport holders through an Electronic Travel Authorization or comparable digital travel clearance.
They are Morocco, Mozambique, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Seychelles. Morocco, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Seychelles allow stays of up to 90 days under the arrangements listed in the report, while Mozambique allows up to 30 days.
When the 42 visa-free destinations, 26 visa-on-arrival destinations and four eTA destinations are combined, Ghana’s Mobility Score reaches 72.
126 DESTINATIONS STILL REQUIRE A VISA
Despite the range of visa-free and simplified travel options, Ghanaian passport holders still require a visa or prior approval for 126 destinations, equivalent to 63.6 percent of those covered by the report.
The list includes major destinations such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, China and most European countries.
Some countries in this category operate electronic visa systems, but because travellers must obtain approval before departure, they remain classified as visa-required destinations under the methodology used in the report.
GHANA RANKS 14TH IN AFRICA
Within Africa, the Ghanaian passport is ranked 14th out of 54 countries. Ghana holds the same 14th-place position among African Union members.
Africa remains one of the strongest regions for Ghanaian passport holders in terms of travel access. Ghanaian citizens can travel visa-free to a large number of countries across West, East and Southern Africa, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
A further group of African destinations provides visa-on-arrival or electronic entry arrangements, including Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Gabon, Madagascar and Mauritania.
EUROPE REMAINS THE MOST RESTRICTIVE REGION
Europe is the most restrictive region for Ghanaian passport holders in the report.
All 47 European destinations covered are classified as requiring a visa or prior approval. The Ghanaian passport therefore records zero visa-free, visa-on-arrival or eTA access across Europe under the report’s methodology.
This includes countries in the Schengen Area such as France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland and the Nordic countries, as well as the United Kingdom and other European destinations.
The European visa requirement is one of the main factors limiting the Ghanaian passport’s overall global access rate.
ALL SIX GULF COUNTRIES REQUIRE PRIOR APPROVAL
The report also shows that all six Gulf countries fall within the visa-required category for Ghanaian passport holders.
These are the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar. Several of these countries operate electronic visa systems, but Ghanaian travellers must still obtain the necessary approval before departure.
As a result, the Ghanaian passport records no visa-free, visa-on-arrival or eTA access in the Gulf category used by the report.
JORDAN AND LEBANON OFFER SIMPLER ACCESS IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Access across the wider Middle East is also relatively restricted. Of the 17 destinations covered in the region, Ghanaian passport holders have visa-on-arrival access to Jordan and Lebanon, both allowing stays of up to 30 days under the conditions listed in the report.
The remaining destinations largely require a visa or approval in advance. This makes the Middle East another region where travel access for Ghanaian passport holders remains significantly more restricted than in Africa or parts of the Caribbean.
CARIBBEAN ACCESS IS COMPARATIVELY STRONG
The Caribbean is among the more accessible regions for Ghanaian travellers.
Of the 16 destinations assessed, 10 are available visa-free. These include Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago, among other destinations included in the regional classification.
Saint Lucia also offers a simplified arrival arrangement, while Saint Kitts and Nevis is available through an electronic travel authorization.
This gives Ghanaian passport holders considerably wider access in the Caribbean than in Europe, the Gulf or much of the Middle East.
GHANA RANKS 42ND IN THE COMMONWEALTH
The report also compares Ghana’s passport with those of countries in major international organisations and political groupings.
Among Commonwealth countries, Ghana is ranked 42nd out of 56. Among World Trade Organization members, it stands at 115th out of 159 countries.
Ghana is also 71st out of 132 countries in the G77 ranking and 32nd out of 57 presidential republics included in the form-of-government comparison.
Among countries where English is an official language, Ghana ranks 45th out of 60 countries.
GHANA RANKS 117TH IN WELCOMING INDEX
The report separately measures how open Ghana is to foreign passport holders.
In the welcoming ranking, Ghana is 117th out of 199 countries. This measure is different from the passport ranking. The passport ranking looks at how easily Ghanaian citizens can travel abroad, while the welcoming ranking assesses how easily foreign passport holders can enter Ghana.
The two rankings therefore measure opposite sides of international mobility and do not necessarily move together.
VISA RECIPROCITY SHOWS UNEVEN ACCESS
The report also identifies differences in visa reciprocity between Ghana and other countries.
There are countries whose passport holders can enter Ghana visa-free or through easier entry arrangements even though Ghanaian passport holders must obtain a visa before travelling there. The list includes Algeria, Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Lesotho, Libya, Namibia, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates.
The opposite situation also exists. Some countries require their citizens to obtain a visa to enter Ghana but offer Ghanaian passport holders visa-free, eTA or visa-on-arrival access. Examples include Bangladesh, Belize, Bolivia, Cambodia, Fiji, Guyana, Haiti, India, Jordan and Kiribati, alongside other destinations identified in the report.
The figures show that visa policies between countries are not always reciprocal and may differ because of immigration policy, diplomatic relations, security considerations, economic ties and travel patterns.
Overall, the Ghanaian passport provides access to 72 destinations without a conventional visa obtained in advance, comprising 42 visa-free destinations, 26 visa-on-arrival destinations and four eTA destinations. A further 126 destinations require a visa or prior approval. With a 36.4 percent global access rate, Ghana is ranked 123rd globally and 14th in Africa.
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