Five things to sort before you land in Accra
From your SIM card to your Ghana card appointment — the pre-arrival checklist that will save you weeks of stress.
Before You Fly
Relocating to Ghana is exciting — new city, new culture, new chapter. But the first two weeks after arrival can feel overwhelming if you haven't prepared in advance. Between currency exchange, paperwork, and figuring out where to buy groceries, even the most organised movers can feel caught off guard. At ExpatGH, we've guided hundreds of expat families and corporate transferees through this exact transition, and the same five gaps come up again and again. Sort these before your flight touches down at Kotoka International Airport, and your first fortnight in Accra will feel manageable instead of chaotic.
1. Sort Your SIM Card at the Airport
MTN and Telecel both run desks in the arrivals hall at Kotoka, and getting a local SIM should be one of your very first stops after immigration. You'll need mobile data immediately — for ride-hailing apps like Uber and Bolt, Google Maps to navigate unfamiliar neighbourhoods, and WhatsApp, which most Ghanaian businesses and landlords use as their primary line of communication. Bring your passport, as it's required for SIM registration, and carry a little cash for airtime and a starter data bundle.
2. Know Your Temporary Housing Situation
Even if your permanent apartment in East Legon, Cantonments, or Airport Residential Area isn't ready yet, confirm exactly where you're sleeping on night one before you board your flight. ExpatGH arranges fully serviced apartments for all our relocation clients, so this is handled before you land. If you're managing the move independently, prioritise accommodation with 24-hour security and a backup generator — Accra's power supply is generally reliable, but the occasional outage is far less stressful with a generator in place.
3. Book Your Ghana Card Appointment Early
The Ghana Card — the country's biometric national ID — is required for opening a bank account, registering a SIM in your own name, and a growing list of everyday transactions. Appointments at the National Identification Authority (NIA) fill up quickly, particularly at the Premium Centres that process foreign nationals. Book your slot online at register.nia.gov.gh as early as possible, ideally before you travel, since the full process — application, interview, biometric capture, and card printing — can take several weeks from booking to issuance.
4. Carry USD Cash
The Ghanaian Cedi fluctuates against major currencies, and many landlords and serviced-apartment providers quote rent in US dollars rather than Cedis. Carrying $500 to $1,000 in smaller denominations gives you flexibility during your first week, before your local bank account is fully set up and you've had time to establish a relationship with a foreign exchange bureau. Avoid arriving with only large bills — change for big-denomination notes can be hard to come by.
5. Brief Your Family on Emergency Numbers
Save Ghana's emergency lines in every phone before you board: Police on 191, Fire Service on 192, and Ambulance on 193. You can also dial 112, Ghana's toll-free unified emergency number, which routes to police, fire, or medical response on any network. A quick family briefing — who to call, and what to say — takes five minutes and is worth far more than that if something goes wrong in an unfamiliar city.
A Smoother Landing Starts Before You Leave
These five steps cover the basics, but every relocation has its own wrinkles — visas, schools, pets, shipping. That's exactly what our Pre-Arrival Support service is built for: we handle the groundwork so you can focus on the move itself, not the logistics behind it. Get in touch with our consultants to talk through your timeline before you book your flight.