How much is car import duty in Ghana?

Base customs duty is banded by engine size and charged on CIF, and 9 further charges sit on top: Overage penalty, NHIL, GETFund levy, COVID-19 Health Recovery Levy, ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme levy, AU import levy, Examination fee, Processing fee, VAT. The order matters, because VAT is charged on the charges as well as on the car. Put your own FOB and freight figures into the calculator above to see the total.

Is Ghana duty charged on the price I paid for the car?

GRA assesses on the Customs-accepted value built from the VIN, model year, engine details and CIF — not on the invoice. The overage penalty is a percentage of that same CIF figure.

What is not included in these figures?

Port charges at both ends, terminal handling, demurrage if a unit sits, agent and clearing fees at destination, and registration or number plates after clearance. Any inland transport line is shown separately where it applies, because it is a road cost rather than a customs charge. Ask for a quote and every one of these is itemised.

Import duty · Ghana

Duty breakdown for Ghana

Every charge Ghana applies to an imported car, in the order its customs system applies it, plus the vehicle age limit that decides whether the unit can enter at all.

Charge	Rate and base
Customs dutyPetrol up to 1000cc · Petrol 1001–3000cc · Petrol above 3000cc	5% / 10% / 20% of CIFDiesel bands sit at different capacities (5% up to 1500cc, 10% to 2500cc, 20% above), so the band is confirmed from the engine type and capacity before quoting.
Overage penalty10 years or younger → 0% · Above 10 up to 12 years → 5% · Above 12 up to 15 years → 20%	0% / 5% / 20% of CIFPassenger-car bands under the Customs Act. Commercial buses, coaches and vans use different bands.
NHIL	2.5% of CIF + duty
GETFund levy	2.5% of CIF + duty
COVID-19 Health Recovery Levy	1% of CIF + duty
ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme levy	0.5% of CIF
AU import levy	0.2% of CIF
Examination fee	1% of CIF
Processing fee	1% of CIF
VAT	15% of CIF + duty + everything aboveCharged on CIF, duty and the levies above — not on CIF alone.

Reviewed 2026-09-24 · Checked against published rules

Where these figures come from

Ghana Standards Authority, National Vehicle Homologation and Conformity Assessment Programme / GS 4510, enforcement from 1 October 2026
Ghana Revenue Authority Customs Act overage bands and ICUMS charge stack
Industry landed-cost reporting for Tema-bound consignments, checked September 2026

From 1 October 2026 the shipment date decides which rules apply: vehicles shipped before that date stay under the old regime even if they arrive later.
Covered vehicles need inspection in the country of origin by a GSA-approved body and a Certificate of Conformance before shipment, and importers must register with the GSA Vehicle Homologation Unit.
Prohibited outright: flood or fire damaged vehicles, vehicles assembled from spare parts, speedometers that cannot show km/h, and vehicles with a bent or cracked chassis or safety cage.
The 20% overage band is the single largest avoidable line in a Ghana landed cost — a unit at 10 years and 11 months clears far cheaper than the same unit after its twelfth birthday.

Age limits, certification routes and duty lines are taken from published rules and reviewed by our team, but customs assesses each vehicle individually. Treat anything here as a planning input, not as an assessment.

Full Ghana import guide

Run your own numbers

The calculator starts on this country. Change the FOB, freight, engine size and vehicle age to match the unit you are actually considering.

Your figures

Country

FOB price (USD)

Freight and insurance (USD)

Insurance (USD)

Engine size (cc)

Vehicle age (years)

Customs duty rate (%)

Editable on purpose: the duty band moves with HS code, engine and age, so use the rate your clearing agent confirms.

15 years for shipments on or after 1 October 2026 (GSA / GS 4510). Customs applies its own overage penalty from above 10 years, which is a separate charge from the age prohibition.

Estimated landed cost

CIF value: $13,620
Customs duty (10%): $1,362
NHIL (2.50%): $375
GETFund levy (2.50%): $375
COVID-19 Health Recovery Levy (1%): $150
ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme levy (0.50%): $68
AU import levy (0.20%): $27
Examination fee (1%): $136
Processing fee (1%): $136
VAT (15%): $2,437
All charges except duty: $5,066

Landed cost$18,686

37.20%% of CIF — Age limits, certification routes and duty lines are taken from published rules and reviewed by our team, but customs assesses each vehicle individually. Treat anything here as a planning input, not as an assessment.

Ghana

Ghana import questions

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How much is car import duty in Ghana?: Base customs duty is banded by engine size and charged on CIF, and 9 further charges sit on top: Overage penalty, NHIL, GETFund levy, COVID-19 Health Recovery Levy, ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme levy, AU import levy, Examination fee, Processing fee, VAT. The order matters, because VAT is charged on the charges as well as on the car. Put your own FOB and freight figures into the calculator above to see the total.
Is Ghana duty charged on the price I paid for the car?: GRA assesses on the Customs-accepted value built from the VIN, model year, engine details and CIF — not on the invoice. The overage penalty is a percentage of that same CIF figure.
What is the vehicle age limit for importing into Ghana?: 15 years for shipments on or after 1 October 2026 (GSA / GS 4510). Customs applies its own overage penalty from above 10 years, which is a separate charge from the age prohibition.
What is not included in these figures?: Port charges at both ends, terminal handling, demurrage if a unit sits, agent and clearing fees at destination, and registration or number plates after clearance. Any inland transport line is shown separately where it applies, because it is a road cost rather than a customs charge. Ask for a quote and every one of these is itemised.