By Aaron Hammond 
So, the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) has dropped a major update on anyone bringing used cars into the country. Starting October 1, 2026, Ghana is kicking off the Pre-Export Verification of Conformity (PVoC) programme. Simply put, any used vehicle coming to Ghana must be checked and certified before it leaves the country you bought it from. No certificate, no entry!
The whole idea behind this is to make sure our roads are safe and we don’t become a dumping ground for bad cars. The GSA is strictly enforcing a new standard known as GS4510:2022. This means they are checking the real condition of the vehicle. If the car has a bent, cracked, or broken chassis (the main frame of the car), it is not getting through customs. This also goes for cars that have been submerged in floods, severely damaged in accidents, or burnt.
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But that’s not all. The GSA has set an age limit: any car older than 10 years from its manufacturing date is banned. Also, forget about importing right-hand-drive vehicles; only left-hand-drive cars are allowed. And yes, your speedometer must read in kilometers per hour, not just miles. On top of that, cars must meet the minimum Euro-2 exhaust emission standard. So, older, highly polluting cars are out of the picture.
If you are an importer, you need to get a Certificate of Conformance (CoC) from approved third-party inspectors before shipment. According to the GSA, this move has the backing of industry stakeholders and is expected to boost consumer confidence, improve access to vehicle financing, and help formalize the used car market in Ghana. It might mean a bit more paperwork upfront, but it’s a huge step towards safer roads and better-quality cars for everyone.