Ghana Residence Permits & Visas: Living in Ghana
In order to reside in Ghana legally, there are a few basic
procedures that all must go through, whether you are an African
born in the Diaspora (repatriate) or a common European (expatriate)
seeking to exploit Ghana's vast resources, the rules apply
the same.
Residency is given to the following categories:
- Investors
- Non-Governmental Organizations
- Students
- Investors:
Most commonly, those relocating to Ghana take advantage of
the investment incentives offered by Ghana government, through
its extension known as the Ghana Investment Promotion Center.
After complying with a few requirements, G.I.P.C. will write
to Ghana Immigrations on your behalf, for your residence permit.
The incentives for investing in Ghana include tax holidays,
protection of interests under specific laws and an opportunity
to legally operate your business in Ghana, but the most significant
reason is to be granted permission to reside in Ghana.
However, one should note the following first:
- Investment in all sectors of the economy other than mining
andpetroleum can be established without prior approval.
Mining and petroleum projects have be licensed by the Minerals
commission and Ministry of Mines and Energy, respectively.
- There are categories for every investor, where a minimum
equity contribution has to be met:
- Joint Venture (90% foreign owned, 10% Ghanaian) $10,000
USD
- Foreign Owned (100% foreign owned) £25,000
- All trading Enterprises (stores) £150,000
Exportation of non-traditional exports no minimum required
- The minimum equity investment can be in cash and/or kind.
Machinery and equipment relevant to the objective of your
business is added as part of the investment once it is imported
in the name of the company and inspected by an official
in Ghana.
- All of the above categories allow for one immigrant quota,
providing residence permit for that person and his or her
family, if they are the director of the company. Additional
quotas are available for £600 per person.
The procedure is undoubtedly tedious and time consuming,
however, we have ways of simplifying it for you, but first,
consider the requirements in their totality and then we will
present your options.
The procedure is as follows:
- Investors must register their business with the Register
General. At this point you will determine availability of
chosen name, incorporateyour business and receive the appropriate
docs to verify your registration.
- A bank account must be opened, in the name of the business,
to facilitate wiring in of investment capital and all other
business transactions.
- Investors must now provide the minimum equity investment
required for business type either by wire transfer or the
importation of business equipment.
- The investor then registers with G.I.P.C. and pays all
relevant fees. (Prior to this phase, fees should not exceed
£50, but with G.I.P.C. the minimum cost of fees for
any type of business will be about £650.
- All enterprises must then register directly with the Internal
Revenue Service and the Value Added Tax Secretariat for
purposes of statutory taxes. .
Once all is said and done the investor is prepared to commence
business in Ghana. As promised, we offer a way to simplify
this procedure, that is, we can either walk you through it
or we can serve as your agent by handling almost every aspect
of the process. In some cases an accountant will be necessary,
but we provide a reliable one for you
Our fees are as follows:
- Walk through £250
- Complete service £500
Non-Governmental Organisations
This route is less commonly used by incoming repatriates,
but it offers a wonderful alternative to those of us who intend
to make our impact via strengthening the environment in which
we live. An NGO is the same as a non-profit outfit. Its objectives
are to serve the community. Due to the misuse of the privileges
appropriated to such organizations, there has been many new
restrictions and constant annual checks to insure that the
NGO is operating as promised and yielding positive results.
One of the areas most needed and most readily accepted by
Ghana government is in the area of education. Health care
workers also receive a welcome invitation as well as those
who promote development in the rural areas of Ghana, whether
it be providing water wells, lavatories, or processing plants
for the better production of non-traditional exports.
There are no minimum equity investments for a NGO, but the
outfit must show sponsorship from a parent company who will
be responsible for the expenses of operation, that is, the
salary of its employees and the funds to embark on the various
projects
Registration is done both through the Register Generals office
and then through the NGO office in Ghana. An annual submission
must be made to verify compliance with stated goals and objectives.
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