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Beginning July 1, 2024, foreign nationals entering Ghana will be required to purchase a compulsory health insurance policy costing between $45 and $270 before being allowed entry.
This new policy mandates that all foreign nationals in Ghana enroll in a scheme that provides them with access to free healthcare services.
The regulation applies to visitors entering the country via airports on visas or using the visa-on-arrival option, contingent upon the duration of their stay in Ghana.
In February 2024, the Ministry of Health (MoH) launched the national health insurance policy targeting short-term foreign visitors.
Named the “National Non-resident Visitors Health Insurance,” the policy was developed by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) and other stakeholders, who will collectively oversee its implementation.
The policy is specifically aimed at non-residents visiting Ghana for less than six months within a 12-month period.
During a media briefing detailing the policy’s modalities, Dr. Isaac Morrison, Vice Chairman of the Technical Working Group on the Visitors Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS) and NHIA Board Member, explained that the initiative was spurred by the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, foreign nationals who fell ill in Ghana were treated at the country’s expense due to the absence of an insurance scheme.
This issue led to the activation of Section 2b of the National Health Insurance Act, 2012 (Act 852), which requires the establishment of a health insurance policy for foreigners.
Currently, countries such as Sierra Leone and Egypt have implemented similar schemes in Africa.
