Ghana Pet Import Requirements

Rabies vaccination is mandatory for all pets entering Ghana and must be documented in the official health certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian in the exporting country. The vaccine must be administered no more than six (6) months and not less than 30 days before travel to ensure adequate immunity at the time of entry. Ghana has not published the specific Rabies vaccine type; it must be a recognized and approved rabies vaccine as per the exporting country’s standards. Only original vaccination certificates and health documents are accepted, and they must clearly link the vaccination to the individual pet by including identifying details such as breed, age, sex, and colour. 

Test results for five specific diseases (Brucella canis, Trypanosoma evansi, Babesia gibsoni, Dirofilaria immitis, and Leishmania spp.), with only original copies of lab reports accepted and all results required to be negative.
All importers of dogs into the country (GHANA) would be required to provide test results of the under listed diseases before a permit would be issued for the importation.

The laboratory may also send acopy directly to Director of Veterinary Services through the following e-mail

Address: vsdghana21@grnail.com

Cc:vsdregulatoryunit@gmail.com

All importers of dogs into the country (GHANA) would be required to provide test results of the under listed diseases before a permit would be issued for the importation
    DISEASE-TEST REQUIRED
    1 Brucella canis
      Test Needed- Serum Agglutination Giemsa smear/RT-PCR
    2. Trypanosome evansi
    Test Needed- Card Agglutination test and /Giemsa smear
    3 Babesia gibsoni
    Test Needed- Giemsa smear
    4 Dirofilaria immitis
   Test Needed-  Microfilaria filtration test or Knott Test
    5 Leishmania spps
    Test Needed- Indirect fluorescent antibody test or ELISA or Direct Agglutination test 
 

Ghana has no mention of a mandatory quarantine requirement for pets upon entry into Ghana, provided all health, vaccination, and testing requirements are fully met.
The permit clearly states that:
•    The pet must be in good health and free from infectious disease
•    Must be vaccinated (including rabies)
•    Must have negative test results for specific diseases
If all these conditions are satisfied, and the documentation is properly endorsed, pets are generally not quarantined upon arrival.
However, Ghana’s Veterinary Officer at the port of entry retains the authority to:
•    Inspect the animal on arrival
•    Review all documentation
•    Decide to quarantine if there are concerns about the pet’s health or if paperwork is incomplete or non-compliant
So, while quarantine is not automatically applied, it is possible at the discretion of the port veterinary authority.


Applicable to only noncompliance with import requirement/ mostly 14 days for Dogs (rabies) and other periods depending on the type of pet. Applicable fees depend on the quarantine providing center.

Ghana has not published specific breed restrictions. Ghana currently allows the importation of all breeds, provided the health, vaccination, and testing requirements are met. There is no indication of climate-related travel restrictions published by Ghana and does not appear to restrict pet entry based on weather conditions such as high or low temperatures.

Check for:
Origin and destination address
Import/Export permit to/out of Ghana respectively
Current vaccination records and Health Certificates
Size of kennel
CITES

NOTE: The Veterinary Services Directorate would like to bring to the notice of all AIRLINES that pets (Dogs and Cats) can only be imported into the country on a signed Veterinary Import Permit from the Veterinary Services Directorate.
ALL AIRLINES should therefore ensure that pets they carry are covered by Veterinary Import Permits from the Veterinary Services Directorate to avoid any inconvenience to their clients.