Importing a used car
into Ghana.

Check before you buy

• Age: not more than 15 years from the date of manufacture.
• Steering: built left-hand drive.
• History: no flood, fire or salvage damage, and an undamaged chassis.
• Inspection: pre-shipment inspection by a GSA-approved body in the exporting country.

The age is counted from the date of manufacture, not the model year or the date of first registration, and the two can differ. Find the manufacture date on the chassis plate or a vehicle history report, and ask for photographs of the plate before you pay. The rule is about how the car was built, so do not rely on a right-hand drive car that has been converted.

Checking the vehicle history

Many used cars bought at overseas auctions have been in accidents or floods. Ask the seller for a history report from the country of purchase, look for salvage, rebuilt or flood titles, and check that the chassis number on the report matches the car. Cars with serious accident damage or a damaged chassis are refused, and the cost of returning one usually exceeds any saving on the purchase price.

Look beyond the paperwork as well. Ask for recent photographs of the engine bay, the underside and the interior, and for a video of the car starting and running. Signs of water damage include rust in unusual places, silt under carpets and electrical faults. If you are buying through an agent abroad, agree in writing who is responsible if the car fails pre-shipment inspection.

How duty is worked out

Customs values the car, adds freight and insurance to get the CIF value, then applies import duty by engine size and fuel, an overage penalty for vehicles over 10 years, the special import levy and other levies, and finally VAT, NHIL and GETFund. Our vehicle duty calculator shows each line.

The value customs uses may not be the price you paid at auction. Customs works from its own valuation for the make, model and year, so a cheap purchase does not always mean cheap duty. Engine capacity matters too: for petrol and diesel cars, a larger engine falls into a higher duty band. For how duty works on general goods, see Ghana import duty explained.

Documents for a vehicle

• The title or export certificate from the country of purchase
• The purchase invoice or auction receipt
• The bill of lading, showing the chassis number
• The pre-shipment inspection report
• Your TIN or Ghana Card number

The chassis number must match on every document. A single wrong digit can hold the car until it is corrected. Our import documents checklist covers the general documents.

Shipping

Cars travel in containers or by RoRo. A container costs more but protects the car and allows personal effects to be shipped with it, which are declared separately. RoRo is usually simpler for a single car that is driven on and off the vessel. Whichever you choose, remove valuables, note the condition with photographs before loading, and keep the fuel low. Our car shipping service covers both options.

Shipping several cars in one container can lower the cost per car, but every car is still declared and assessed on its own, and a problem with one can delay the others in the same box. If you plan to share a container, make sure every car meets the rules and every set of documents is complete before loading.

Clearing and registration

We lodge the declaration, pay the duty if you want us to, attend examination and release the car. Vehicles are examined against the declaration, with the chassis number, make, model, engine and condition checked. Once customs releases the car and the port and shipping line charges are paid, it can leave the port.

You then register it with the DVLA, which inspects the vehicle and checks the customs documents before issuing registration. Keep the customs release papers safe, as they prove the duty was paid. A buyer, insurer or the DVLA may ask to see them later, and replacing lost customs documents is slow. If you are importing the car to sell, keep a copy of the full file for each vehicle so a future owner can confirm it entered Ghana legally. The general clearance sequence is in how customs clearance works at Tema.

Timelines and common mistakes

A car with complete, matching documents and duty funds ready can often be cleared within a few working days of discharge. Missing inspection reports, chassis number errors or valuation queries can stretch that to a week or more, while port storage and shipping line charges run. See demurrage and storage at Tema.

• Buying a car close to the 15-year limit without confirming the manufacture date
• Assuming the auction price will be the customs value
• Skipping the history check on an auction car, or relying on photographs taken by the seller alone
• Shipping before the pre-shipment inspection is done
• Packing undeclared personal effects in the car

How we help

Send us the listing, the chassis number and the manufacture date before you bid. We check the car against the rules, estimate the duty, and arrange shipping, clearing and delivery. Knowing the likely duty before you bid lets you compare the real landed cost of a car abroad with buying locally, which is often the deciding factor. As your clearing agent in Tema, we follow the car to release and keep you updated on our tracking page.

Questions