Ghana will stop the importation of certain used vehicles from October 1, 2026, under new rules being enforced by the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA).

The affected vehicles include used cars that are more than 15 years old, as well as vehicles that have been damaged by floods or fire.

The GSA will also bar vehicles with cracked or bent chassis, cars assembled from spare parts, and vehicles without speedometers that display speed in kilometres per hour (km/h).

The new rules are contained in a public notice released on August 14, 2026, following consultations with stakeholders.

The GSA has urged vehicle importers, dealers and other stakeholders to understand the new requirements and comply with them before shipping vehicles to Ghana.

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“The GSA encourages all stakeholders to familiarise themselves with the applicable requirements and take the necessary steps to ensure compliance before importing vehicles into Ghana,” the notice read.

However, vehicles shipped before October 1, 2026, will not be affected, even if they arrive in Ghana after the enforcement date.

Vehicles that are already in Ghana before October 1 will also be exempt.

Under the new system, all new and used vehicle importers, distributors, manufacturers, assemblers and dealers must register with the GSA Vehicle Homologation Unit, also known as the GSA Auto Unit.

New vehicle models must be approved by the GSA before they are shipped to Ghana.

Used vehicles, on the other hand, must be inspected in their country of origin by a GSA-approved inspection company.

Each vehicle must also have a Certificate of Conformance (CoC) showing that it meets Ghana’s required standards.

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Vehicles that fail to meet the requirements will not be allowed into the country.

The GSA said the latest notice replaces an earlier notice on the same issue.



DR/MA

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