Import
resources

Check the vehicle qualifies before any money changes hands.

• —GSA treats a vehicle as used only if it was previously owned and registered, is more than 12 months from manufacture, and has more than 1,500 km on the odometer.
• —Used vehicles over fifteen years old, assembled from spare parts, without a km/h speedometer, or with major salvage damage (flood, fire, scrap or chassis damage) cannot be imported.
• —GRA says right-hand-steering vehicles are generally not allowed. A dispensation must be applied for and is decided by the Minister of Trade.
• —Ask the seller for the export or deregistration certificate, the purchase invoice, and the auction sheet if the vehicle was bought at auction.

Check a vehicleProhibited vehicles

Every importer needs a GSA registration and a VEDIS ID.

• —Individuals importing up to two vehicles a year for personal use fill in the private importer form. Businesses importing to use or sell, with no limit, fill in the commercial importer form.
• —Submit the form to the GSA Auto Unit or by email to auto@gsa.gov.gh. Once registered on VEDIS, you receive your VEDIS ID.
• —GSA gives registered importers the contact details of approved third-party inspection bodies.

Registration stepsDownload the forms

What Pre-Export Verification of Conformity means for a used vehicle.

• —An approved inspection body accredited to ISO/IEC 17020 inspects the vehicle in the export country, before shipment, against Ghana Standard GS 4510.
• —A vehicle that passes gets a Certificate of Conformance (CoC) and an approval sticker, and the result is uploaded to VEDIS.
• —PVoC does not replace customs, port or DVLA requirements. You still need to clear and register the vehicle in Ghana.

PVoC for used vehicles

Have the paperwork and the vehicle ready.

• —Importer: VEDIS ID, Ghana Card and TIN (individuals) or business registration and TIN (companies), and contact details.
• —Vehicle: VIN or chassis number, make, model and category, the export or deregistration certificate or title, and the purchase invoice.
• —Exporter and logistics: the exporter's details, where the vehicle is located, and two preferred inspection dates.

Required documentsFind a facility

What the CoC is and where it is checked.

• —The CoC is issued only to a vehicle that conforms to GS 4510, together with an approval sticker.
• —The CoC travels with the export documents. GSA verifies it electronically through VEDIS at the Ghana port before release.
• —VEDIS is integrated with ICUMS, so the CoC is visible to customs during clearance.

Verify a certificate

What a failed or prohibited result means.

• —A vehicle that does not conform is not issued a certificate and is not permitted to be exported to Ghana.
• —If you disagree with a GVPIC result, send an appeal with your booking reference. A supervisor who did not do the original inspection reviews the report and photos.
• —If you are still not satisfied, you can raise the matter with GSA at auto@gsa.gov.gh.

Results and appealsSend an appeal

Keep the shipping paperwork safe.

• —Vehicles arrive mainly through the ports of Tema and Takoradi.
• —Keep the bill of lading. It shows the shipment date, which decides whether the vehicle was shipped before or after an enforcement date.
• —GRA notes that duty can be paid before the vehicle arrives once you have the title and the bill of lading.

GRA customs links

Declaring the vehicle and paying duty.

• —The vehicle is declared through ICUMS, GRA's customs system. Most importers use a licensed customs (clearing) agent.
• —GRA works out duty from the vehicle's original price, depreciated by age, plus freight and insurance (CIF). VAT, levies, an examination fee on used vehicles and any overage penalty are added.
• —Use GRA's used vehicle duty calculator for an estimate. The final amount is set by GRA at clearance.
• —Budget too for shipping line, terminal handling and clearing agent charges.

Duty calculator and ICUMS

From the port to a Ghana number plate.

• —GSA verifies the CoC and the vehicle electronically at the port, and customs releases the vehicle once duty is paid.
• —Register and license the vehicle with DVLA, using your customs and conformity documents.

DVLA link