Ghana GH
Ghana has a clearly documented process, and it explicitly covers visiting foreigners. The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) requires written approval to import any drone (Form R28-AF-001, addressed to GCAA at Kotoka International Airport before travel), after which GCAA issues a customs clearance letter. Once in Ghana, a short-term visitor can get 'RPAS Temporal Use' approval (a physical inspection, valid under a year) as a lighter alternative to full 1-year registration, provided they first complete GCAA's online RPAS Safety Course. Fees are modest for small/light drones (around $20 each for import and registration). A tourist can realistically fly recreationally in Ghana by following this paperwork, but must plan ahead — it is not a walk-up process.
Your plan
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2 things to sort out before you fly
- Register your drone in Ghana
Register using Form R28-AF-003 (Application for Use of RPAS): attach a copy of your passport biodata page and, unless already held, complete GCAA's online RPAS Safety Course (CBT, under an hour) for a Certificate of Completion valid 1 year. GCAA physically inspects the RPAS (Checklist R28-CL-001) before issuing a Letter of Approval and a registration number formatted 9GR-nAAA. As of the February 2023 edition of AC 28-008, online registration was still 'TBD' (not yet live) — expect an in-person process at Kotoka International Airport, Accra. Fee: 20 USD (Initial/renewal registration certificate fee for Small & Light RPAS per GCAA's 2019 Scheme of Charges (Appendix C to AC 28-008); Large RPAS fees are higher (Group A $30 up to Group C $80) and other services (special registration, amendments, letters of approval) carry separate fees.).
- Pass the GCAA RPAS Safety Course (Computer-Based Training) — Certificate of Completion
Online. Required as a prerequisite to registration for recreational users; takes under an hour online and is not pass/fail. Certificate is valid 1 year and covers any RPAS registered or renewed in that period. Commercial/Large RPAS pilots additionally need a full Remote Pilot Licence with written and skill testing (fees from $20 for small/light categories up in the Scheme of Charges), which is a separate, heavier requirement not relevant to ordinary tourist recreational flying.
- Bringing your drone in
No personal duty-free drone allowance was found. GCAA approval (separate from ordinary customs duty/VAT) is mandatory before import regardless of purpose; the GCAA fee itself is modest (around $20 for a small/light RPAS) but is explicitly stated to have 'no bearing on the charges that may be levied by Ghana Revenue Authority' — ordinary customs duty and VAT can still apply on top. Submit Form R28-AF-001 (Application to Import RPAS) to the GCAA Director-General at Kotoka International Airport, Accra, before travel — it asks for make/model/serial number, purpose, date of arrival and duration of stay, plus a copy of your passport biodata page. GCAA then issues a Clearance Authorization Letter to Ghana Customs and Excise so the drone can be released at the border. If a drone arrives without this and is detained by Customs, the same form is used retroactively with a copy of the detention receipt attached. Batteries: No Ghana-specific lithium-battery rule was found; standard international carry-on limits apply.
- Before each flight
No person may operate an RPAS in Ghana without GCAA registration/approval, and no person may import an RPAS without GCAA's prior written approval (Ghana Civil Aviation Directives Part 28, Sections 28.1(17) and 28.6(1)) · Small (≤1.5 kg) and Light (>1.5–7 kg) RPAS are limited to visual-line-of-sight (VLOS) operation; Large RPAS (>7 kg) may fly VLOS or BVLOS but need a special certificate of airworthiness and a remote pilot licence · Private/recreational RPAS may not be flown above 400 ft (about 122 m) AGL or beyond visual line of sight without meeting commercial RPAS requirements
Flying
- No person may operate an RPAS in Ghana without GCAA registration/approval, and no person may import an RPAS without GCAA's prior written approval (Ghana Civil Aviation Directives Part 28, Sections 28.1(17) and 28.6(1))
- Small (≤1.5 kg) and Light (>1.5–7 kg) RPAS are limited to visual-line-of-sight (VLOS) operation; Large RPAS (>7 kg) may fly VLOS or BVLOS but need a special certificate of airworthiness and a remote pilot licence
- Private/recreational RPAS may not be flown above 400 ft (about 122 m) AGL or beyond visual line of sight without meeting commercial RPAS requirements
- GCAA's own CONOPS screening flags extra scrutiny for flights within 10 km of an airport/helipad with a published instrument approach (5 km if none), within 30 m of vehicles, boats, buildings or people without permission, or over populous areas such as beaches or heavily populated parks
- GCAA's Advisory Circular AC 28-008 explicitly covers 'Foreign Nationals who intend to use their RPAS temporarily in Ghana' as one of its three applicability categories
- A visitor bringing a drone for a short stay can apply for 'RPAS Temporal Use' approval (a physical inspection, approved for less than a year) instead of full registration, once the drone has cleared customs
Commercial use: Commercial operators need an RPAS Operator Certificate (ROC) under AC 28-007, separate from this recreational/private track. Foreign companies doing private or commercial RPAS operations in Ghana face steep GCAA fees on top of registration: a Letter of Approval for private operations by a foreign company is cited at $200 and for commercial operations by a foreign company at $1,500, plus an Economic Regulation Fee of $1,000/month for foreign commercial operators — this route is for production companies, not individual tourists.
Registration & classes
| Registration | Yes (all drones) Register using Form R28-AF-003 (Application for Use of RPAS): attach a copy of your passport biodata page and, unless already held, complete GCAA's online RPAS Safety Course (CBT, under an hour) for a Certificate of Completion valid 1 year. GCAA physically inspects the RPAS (Checklist R28-CL-001) before issuing a Letter of Approval and a registration number formatted 9GR-nAAA. As of the February 2023 edition of AC 28-008, online registration was still 'TBD' (not yet live) — expect an in-person process at Kotoka International Airport, Accra. |
|---|---|
| Pilot test | Yes (online) GCAA RPAS Safety Course (Computer-Based Training) — Certificate of Completion. Required as a prerequisite to registration for recreational users; takes under an hour online and is not pass/fail. Certificate is valid 1 year and covers any RPAS registered or renewed in that period. Commercial/Large RPAS pilots additionally need a full Remote Pilot Licence with written and skill testing (fees from $20 for small/light categories up in the Scheme of Charges), which is a separate, heavier requirement not relevant to ordinary tourist recreational flying. |
| Remote ID | Unknown No in-flight Remote ID broadcast requirement was found in GCAA's Advisory Circular AC 28-008; oversight relies on the registration number (format 9GR-nAAA) rather than broadcast identification. |
| Insurance | No Not confirmed as a requirement in AC 28-008. Secondary sources describe insurance as recommended but not mandated for hobbyist/tourist operations in Ghana. |
| Foreign registration accepted | No AC 28-008 explicitly names 'Foreign Nationals who intend to use their RPAS temporarily in Ghana' as a covered category — you are expected to go through import approval and then either full registration or the lighter Temporal Use approval. No official minimum lead time is stated, but the import application form requests your arrival date and duration of stay, and secondary sources recommend starting the GCAA process well before travelling since 'GCAA applications, site permissions, event approvals, and operator bookings all take time.' A foreign pilot licence is not described as automatically recognised — plan to complete GCAA's online RPAS Safety Course regardless of any licence you already hold. |
Weight classes
| Class | Weight | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Small RPAS | ≤ 1.5 kg MTOW | VLOS only; standard recreational registration and Safety Course apply. |
| Light RPAS | > 1.5 kg – 7 kg MTOW | VLOS only; same recreational registration track as Small RPAS. |
| Large RPAS | > 7 kg MTOW | May fly VLOS or BVLOS but require a special certificate of airworthiness (or experimental certificate) and a GCAA remote pilot licence; substantially higher fees under the Scheme of Charges. |
Import & export
- No personal duty-free drone allowance was found. GCAA approval (separate from ordinary customs duty/VAT) is mandatory before import regardless of purpose; the GCAA fee itself is modest (around $20 for a small/light RPAS) but is explicitly stated to have 'no bearing on the charges that may be levied by Ghana Revenue Authority' — ordinary customs duty and VAT can still apply on top.
- Submit Form R28-AF-001 (Application to Import RPAS) to the GCAA Director-General at Kotoka International Airport, Accra, before travel — it asks for make/model/serial number, purpose, date of arrival and duration of stay, plus a copy of your passport biodata page. GCAA then issues a Clearance Authorization Letter to Ghana Customs and Excise so the drone can be released at the border. If a drone arrives without this and is detained by Customs, the same form is used retroactively with a copy of the detention receipt attached.
- Batteries: No Ghana-specific lithium-battery rule was found; standard international carry-on limits apply.
- Apply for GCAA import approval before you travel — the application form itself asks for your arrival date and length of stay, implying it should be lodged in advance rather than on arrival.
- Keep the GCAA Clearance Authorization Letter and your registration/Temporal Use documents with you at the airport and while flying.
- If your drone is detained at customs without prior approval, you can still apply for import approval afterwards using the same form plus the detention receipt.
Export
- Exporting a GCAA-registered RPAS out of Ghana uses Form R28-AF-002 (Application to Export RPAS), which also lets you request de-registration at the same time — relevant if you completed the full 1-year registration rather than a Temporal Use approval.
Costs
| Operator registration | 20 USD (≈ €18) · Initial/renewal registration certificate fee for Small & Light RPAS per GCAA's 2019 Scheme of Charges (Appendix C to AC 28-008); Large RPAS fees are higher (Group A $30 up to Group C $80) and other services (special registration, amendments, letters of approval) carry separate fees. Validity: Standard recreational/private registration and Letter of Approval are valid 1 year from issue. A short-stay visitor can instead get 'RPAS Temporal Use' approval, issued for less than a year and tied to the length of the visit, avoiding the need for de-registration on departure. |
|---|---|
| GCAA RPAS Safety Course (Computer-Based Training) — Certificate of Completion | Unknown |
| Import taxes | ? % duty + ? % VAT Usually only for drones you buy abroad and bring in to keep. |
Guides
Flying a drone in Ghana as a visitor Visitors
- Apply to import before you travel
Submit GCAA Form R28-AF-001 (Application to Import RPAS) to the Director-General, GCAA, Kotoka International Airport, Accra, with your passport biodata page, drone make/model/serial number, purpose, arrival date and length of stay. Open
- Pay the GCAA fee
Small/Light RPAS importation is listed at around $20 in GCAA's Scheme of Charges; this is separate from any Ghana Revenue Authority customs duty/VAT that may also apply.
- Complete the online Safety Course
Take GCAA's RPAS Safety Course (CBT, under an hour) and print the Certificate of Completion — required before registration or Temporal Use approval.
- Clear customs and get inspected
Present GCAA's Clearance Authorization Letter to Customs on arrival, then request 'RPAS Temporal Use' approval (a physical inspection against Checklist R28-CL-001) rather than full 1-year registration if you're only visiting briefly.
- Fly within the limits
Stay within visual line of sight, at or below about 400 ft (122 m) AGL, well clear of airports/helipads, and away from crowds, vehicles and buildings without permission.
Sources
- Ghana Civil Aviation Authority — AC 28-008: RPAS Registration Process (Issue 1, Feb 2023) · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- Ghana Civil Aviation Authority — official site · accessed 24 Sept 2026
- drone-laws.com — Ghana Drone Laws 2026 · accessed 24 Sept 2026
How the score is built
- Operator registration−15
- Pilot test (online)−10
- Remote ID−3
- Night flight unknown−3
- Visitors need a flight permit−20
- Visitors must register locally−10
- Import permit−40
- Duty + VAT ≈ 15 %−9
- Radio / type certification−12
Every score starts at 100 and loses points for each requirement. How scoring works