
The situation
The Ghana Immigration Service has released additional information regarding the requirement for first time applicants for Work and Residence Permits to obtain medical certificates from the GIS Medical Facility in Accra, including: fees, types of tests conducted, hours of the clinic and the obtainment of results.
A closer look
- Fee. The fee per applicant to obtain a medical examination in order to obtain a medical certificate is GHs 900, payable to the Ghana Immigration Service. This is for all medical examinations except those that will need to include X-rays which have been outsourced to Sunshine Medical Healthcare, located at Airport Residential Area, Accra. The fees for X-rays are payable to Sunshine Medical and include laboratory tests.
- Tests. The tests conducted at the GIS medical facility include tests for Hepatitis A and B, HIV, Syphilis, lungs and muscoskeletal diseases, central nervous system diseases, and sickle cell anemia, amongst others.
- Hours. The GIS clinic will be open from 12 P.M. to 4 P.M. each day from Monday through Friday. There are no appointments required as the clinic is a walk-in service.
- Results. Results will be ready within 24 hours and will be sent electronically to the work and residence permit sections of the Ghana Immigration Service as soon as they are ready. Copies will be made available to applicants upon request, but once the examination is over, applicants do not need to take any additional steps to receive the medical certificate.
Impact for foreign nationals
Applicants for Work and Residence Permits will incur additional costs since they will have to travel to Ghana to undergo their medical examination at the GIS headquarters or Sunshine Medical Healthcare and then leave the country to apply for their work and residence permit outside of Ghana.
Foreign nationals should also anticipate that the personal appearance requirement will increase the amount of time that it will take to file a work or residence permit applications and therefore delay work start dates.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
Explore more at Fragomen
Media mentions
Fragomen and SICPA have launched a global joint venture to develop an end-to-end digital identity platform that enables secure identity verification, document authentication and verifiable credential management.
Media mentions
Senior Counsel Mitch Wexler discusses how potential changes to H-1B visas, employment-based green cards and OPT could impact employers’ workforce planning and compliance obligations.
Media mentions
In a Leaders in Motion interview with World Business Travel Forum, Partner Ali Haider and Nomadic CEO Carsten Østberg discuss recent travel and mobility developments across the Middle East and practical considerations for employers managing cross-border talent in the region.
Media mentions
Partner Rachel Beardsley explains how new DHS guidance clarifies that dairy employers may use the H-2A program when they can demonstrate a temporary or seasonal labor need.
Fragomen news
Fragomen and SICPA announced the formation of a global joint venture to advance next-generation digital identity solutions for governments, enterprises and individuals.
Blog post
Senior Associate Kyle Sommer and Adam Schwartz, Director in the Global Mobility practice at Andersen, discuss how immigration and tax considerations intersect across common US immigration classifications and why early coordination can help travelers, employers and advisors reduce compliance risks and make more informed mobility decisions.
Podcast
In this episode of The Immigration Conversation, Senior Associates Sarah Melnick and Kimberly Elmazi discuss key considerations for foreign nationals planning international summer travel, including visa appointment planning, document preparation, consular interviews, port-of-entry procedures and I-94 review.
Podcast
UK Government Affairs Strategy Director Shuyeb Muquit is joined by Jonathan Thomas of the Social Market Foundation, Dr. Ben Brindle of the Migration Observatory, University of Oxford and Steve McCauley of the University of Cambridge to discuss what a new UK Prime Minister could mean for immigration policy, employers and workforce mobility.
Media mentions
Partner Rick Lamanna said Canada’s expanded citizenship rules could make hundreds of thousands if not millions of people eligible while moving against a global trend of tighter citizenship laws.
Media mentions
Senior Counsel Dr. Anna Boucher shares insights on the factors influencing Australia's migration trends.
Media mentions
Fragomen and SICPA have launched a global joint venture to develop an end-to-end digital identity platform that enables secure identity verification, document authentication and verifiable credential management.
Media mentions
Senior Counsel Mitch Wexler discusses how potential changes to H-1B visas, employment-based green cards and OPT could impact employers’ workforce planning and compliance obligations.
Media mentions
In a Leaders in Motion interview with World Business Travel Forum, Partner Ali Haider and Nomadic CEO Carsten Østberg discuss recent travel and mobility developments across the Middle East and practical considerations for employers managing cross-border talent in the region.
Media mentions
Partner Rachel Beardsley explains how new DHS guidance clarifies that dairy employers may use the H-2A program when they can demonstrate a temporary or seasonal labor need.
Fragomen news
Fragomen and SICPA announced the formation of a global joint venture to advance next-generation digital identity solutions for governments, enterprises and individuals.
Blog post
Senior Associate Kyle Sommer and Adam Schwartz, Director in the Global Mobility practice at Andersen, discuss how immigration and tax considerations intersect across common US immigration classifications and why early coordination can help travelers, employers and advisors reduce compliance risks and make more informed mobility decisions.
Podcast
In this episode of The Immigration Conversation, Senior Associates Sarah Melnick and Kimberly Elmazi discuss key considerations for foreign nationals planning international summer travel, including visa appointment planning, document preparation, consular interviews, port-of-entry procedures and I-94 review.
Podcast
UK Government Affairs Strategy Director Shuyeb Muquit is joined by Jonathan Thomas of the Social Market Foundation, Dr. Ben Brindle of the Migration Observatory, University of Oxford and Steve McCauley of the University of Cambridge to discuss what a new UK Prime Minister could mean for immigration policy, employers and workforce mobility.
Media mentions
Partner Rick Lamanna said Canada’s expanded citizenship rules could make hundreds of thousands if not millions of people eligible while moving against a global trend of tighter citizenship laws.
Media mentions
Senior Counsel Dr. Anna Boucher shares insights on the factors influencing Australia's migration trends.


