Key facts
Key facts for business in Ghana
The short answer
Company registry in Ghana: Office of the Registrar of Companies (ORC). Tax authority: Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA). Requirements, fees and timelines change – confirm them with the body concerned and a lawyer admitted in Ghana before you act.
| Legal system | Common law (with customary law) |
|---|---|
| Official languages | English |
| Currency | Ghanaian cedi (GHS) |
| Regional blocs | ECOWAS |
| OHADA business law | No |
| AfCFTA (continental free trade) | Ratified (instrument deposited) |
| New York Convention (arbitral awards) | Party – in force since 1968 |
| ICSID Convention (investment disputes) | Contracting state – in force since 1966 |
| Apostille Convention (public documents) | Not a party – documents usually need legalization |
Treaty status from the official depositary records (UNCITRAL, ICSID, HCCH), regional blocs from their own websites, AfCFTA from tralac – checked October 2026. Not legal advice.
Official bodies
Who does what in Ghana
| What for | Official body | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Registering a company | Office of the Registrar of Companies (ORC) | orc.gov.gh |
| Investment promotion | Ghana Investment Promotion Authority (GIPA) | gipa.gov.gh |
| Tax | Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) | gra.gov.gh |
| Central bank, currency and foreign exchange | Bank of Ghana | bog.gov.gh |
| Work and residence permits | Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) | gis.gov.gh |
| Courts and justice | Judicial Service of Ghana | judicial.gov.gh |
Each link was opened and checked as the body’s own website in October 2026. Links to official sites only – never to agents or look-alike sites.
Getting started
What foreign businesses usually sort out first
- Choose how you will operate. A subsidiary, a branch, a representative office, or working through a local partner or distributor. The options and their conditions are set by national company law.
- Register the business. Company registration: Office of the Registrar of Companies (ORC).
- Register for tax. Tax registration: Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
- Check investment rules and incentives. Some sectors have licensing, local-ownership or registration rules, and some investors qualify for incentives. Investment agency: Ghana Investment Promotion Authority (GIPA).
- Permits for foreign staff. Work and residence permits: Ghana Immigration Service (GIS).
- Banking and foreign exchange. Rules on accounts, moving money in and out and paying dividends abroad come from the central bank (Bank of Ghana) and the banks.
- Contracts and disputes. Agree the governing law, the courts or arbitration seat, and the language. Ghana is a party to the New York Convention, so arbitral awards made in other member states can be recognized there under it.
A general checklist, not legal advice. What applies to you depends on your sector, structure and nationality.
Law firms
Law firms in Ghana for business matters
AB & David Africa
Accra
Africa Legal Associates
Accra
Kimathi & Partners
Accra
Law Offices of Kwame Agati
Accra
Legal Ink
Accra, Kumasi
Legalstone Solicitors PRUC
Accra
Ndowuona & Company
Accra
Pax & Wells Chambers (Dubik & Associates)
Accra
Reindorf Chambers
Accra
Sam Okudzeto & Associates
Accra
Sambian & Co
Kumasi
TEMPLARS Ghana
Accra
14 firms in Ghana list corporate, tax, employment or other business work on their own websites – the first 12 are shown A to Z. See every firm in Ghana.
Checking a lawyer in Ghana
Who admits lawyers: General Legal Council (GLC), with the Ghana Bar Association
Professional title: Lawyer (Barrister and Solicitor of the Superior Court of Judicature)
Official roll: glc.gov.gh
Use the General Legal Council's 'Find a Lawyer' search on glc.gov.gh and ask to see the lawyer's current-year solicitor's licence (practising certificate).
We could not confirm every detail from official sources, so use this as a starting point.
Sources: glc.gov.gh. Checked October 2026. Not legal advice.
Questions
Doing business in Ghana: questions
Where do you register a company in Ghana?
With Office of the Registrar of Companies (ORC) (orc.gov.gh). Requirements change, so confirm them with the registry and a lawyer admitted in Ghana.
Is Ghana a party to the New York Convention?
Yes – in force since 1968 (UNCITRAL status table, checked October 2026).
Does Ghana accept apostilles?
Ghana is not a party to the Apostille Convention (HCCH status table, checked October 2026), so foreign public documents usually need legalization – typically through the issuing country’s foreign ministry and Ghana’s embassy or consulate. Confirm with the authority that will receive the document.
What currency is used in Ghana?
Ghanaian cedi (GHS).