FDA import permits
in Ghana.

Which goods need FDA approval

The FDA regulates products that affect health and safety. If your goods fall into any of these groups, expect an FDA step in the clearance:

• Food and drinks, including prepackaged and bulk food, ingredients and food additives
• Medicines, herbal products and supplements
• Cosmetics and personal care products
• Medical devices
• Household chemical substances, such as detergents and insecticides

Some products sit on the boundary, for example a cleaning product with a disinfectant claim, or a supplement sold as a food. The HS code and the claims on the label both matter. If you are unsure, send us the product sheet and label before you order. Our guide to HS codes in Ghana explains how classification links to permits.

Register first

FDA registration for imports has two parts. The importer registers with the FDA, and the products are registered too. Registration of the importer confirms who is responsible for the goods in Ghana. Product registration confirms that a specific product, from a specific manufacturer, with a specific label, can be sold here.

Product registration can take weeks, and for medicines and some medical devices it can take considerably longer, because the FDA reviews technical information about the product and the manufacturer. Start well before you place a large order. Shipping unregistered products is the main cause of FDA holds at the port.

Registration is product specific. A new flavour, pack size, formula or manufacturer can count as a different product, so check before you change what you buy.

The permit and customs

Each shipment then needs its own import permit. Applications are made through ICUMS and linked to the customs declaration, so the permit and the declaration describe the same goods. Once fees are paid, the FDA processes the clearance permit, often within a working day when the products are registered and the documents agree. Customs will not release the goods without it. Read more about the system in ICUMS explained.

The permit is tied to the products and quantities on that shipment. If the invoice lists items that are not on the permit, or quantities that differ, the declaration and permit will not agree and the goods will wait while the difference is resolved. Apply as soon as the shipping documents are final, so the permit is ready when the vessel arrives rather than after discharge.

How long the FDA process takes

It helps to think of three separate timelines. Importer registration is done once and renewed as required. Product registration is the slowest step, typically weeks and sometimes months for medicines or complex devices, and it must be complete before the goods ship. The import permit for each shipment is the quickest, often a matter of a working day or two once everything else is in place.

Where shipments go wrong, it is almost always because the slow step was left until the goods were already at sea. Build product registration into your buying plan, and treat a new supplier or a new product as a new registration project.

Documents and inspection

The FDA can inspect a consignment at the port before it is released. An officer may check labels, batch numbers, expiry dates and storage conditions against the registered product, and can take samples for testing. Where samples are taken, release can wait for results. Cold chain goods and perishables are the most exposed to this delay, so plan arrival dates and reefer power with that in mind.

The documents the FDA usually expects are:

• The commercial invoice and packing list, with product names that match the registration
• The bill of lading or air waybill
• Evidence of product registration for each line
• Certificates from the exporting country where relevant, such as a health certificate for food or a certificate of analysis
• Labels or photographs of the packaging

The full list for each shipment type is in our import documents checklist.

Avoid a hold

• Make sure labels and descriptions match the registered product exactly.
• Check shelf life: products close to expiry can be refused.
• Use labels in English, with the product name, ingredients, batch number and expiry date clearly shown.
• Do not mix registered and unregistered products in the same container, as one problem line can hold the whole box.
• Send us the documents before the ship arrives, so storage is not running while you wait.

If the FDA refuses a shipment

When goods do not meet requirements, the FDA can hold them until the problem is fixed, order relabelling under supervision, or require the goods to be re-exported or destroyed. All of these cost time and money, and port storage and shipping line charges keep running while the decision is made. See our guide to demurrage and storage for how those clocks work.

Most refusals come from the same few causes: no product registration, labels that do not match, products near expiry, or goods declared under a description that does not match what is in the box. Each can be checked before shipping, usually in less time than it takes to resolve a single hold at the port.

How we handle FDA clearance

As your clearing agent in Tema, we check your products against your FDA registrations before arrival, prepare and submit the permit application through ICUMS, attend any inspection, and follow the permit to approval alongside the customs declaration. For air cargo we do the same at Accra airport. The wider process is set out in how to import goods into Ghana.

Questions