The Ghana Airport Company Limited has made revisions to the COVID-19 guidelines at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).
These updates which largely center on vaccination mandates take effect from midnight of Thursday, September 1, 2022.
In a statement, management of the facility also listed Sputnik V, Covishield, COVID-19 vaccine Janssen, Pfizer, Mordena’s Spikevax, Vaxveira (previously AstraZeneca) as the list of COVID-19 vaccines approved for travellers into Ghana.
Others granted approval for emergency use listing are COVAXIN, BBIBP-CorV, CoronaVac, COCOVAX and NUVAXOID.
The revisions are as follows:
1. Pre- Arrival Processes – Travellers intending to enter Ghana
a. All international passengers including those from the ECOWAS region, intending to fly to Ghana, will be required to be fully vaccinated.
b. All International passengers, including those from the ECOWAS region must complete a Port Health Declaration Form at https://www.ghs-hdf.org/hdf/ before embarkation of flight to Ghana.
2. Arriving Passengers – Travellers Entering Ghana Ghanaians and Foreign Residents
a. 18 years and above arriving in Ghana will be required to provide evidence of full vaccination for a COVID-19 vaccine at the point of embarkation and upon arrival at Kotoka International Airport (KIA).
b. Fully vaccinated will be exempted from pre-departure COVID-19 PCR testing from point of embarkation. c. Fully vaccinated will be exempted from COVID-19 testing upon arrival at the KIA.
d. Partially vaccinated or unvaccinated will be required to present a NEGATIVE 48hrs PCR test result to the airline before embarkation and upon arrival.
e. Partially vaccinated or unvaccinated will undergo COVID-19 testing at the KIA upon arrival. f. Partially vaccinated or unvaccinated will undergo COVID-19 vaccination at KIA upon arrival.
Non-Ghanaians:
a. At the point of embarkation, must provide evidence of full vaccination status to the Airline prior to embarkation. (Airlines that board non-Ghanaians without evidence of full vaccination will be considered to have violated the COVID-19 guidelines for Ghana and shall be fined $3,500.00)
b. Travelling to Kotoka International Airport with fake or forged vaccination certificates shall be quarantined and returned to the point of embarkation at their own cost.
All Arriving passengers will undergo temperature screening, Yellow Fever Card verification and COVID-19 vaccination certificate verification as required
3. Transit Passengers
a. Passengers transiting and transferring through KIA will be required to be fully vaccinated and in addition adhere to COVID-19 testing requirements at the destination countries.
4. Exemptions
a. Children under 18 years (Ghanaians and non-Ghanaians) who are unvaccinated are exempted from pre-departure COVID-19 PCR testing and COVID-19 testing upon arrival at the Airport in Ghana
b. Airline crew are exempted from the pre-departure and arrival COVID-19 testing and should follow the Airline policy for testing.
c. Passengers who arrive under emergency circumstances such as diverted flights will not be required to undergo testing if they do not leave the airport or remain in isolation in their hotel.
5. Travelling with Pets
a. Travelling with pets into Ghana is allowed in line with guidelines of the Veterinary Services Directorate of the Ministry of Food & Agriculture.
6. Departure Process- Passengers exiting Ghana
a. Passengers departing Accra will be required to adhere to COVID-19 testing requirements for the destination countries.
b. Departing passengers will undergo temperature screening at the entrance of Terminal departures
7. Wearing of Nose Mask
a. Wearing of nose mask is mandatory in all Airport Terminals and ancillary buildings
8. Vaccination Definition of Fully Vaccinated – A person is said to be fully vaccinated when he/she has taken the full dose of vaccines approved and registered by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Ghana or other vaccines prequalified by WHO (https://covid19.trackvaccines.org/agency/who).
All Passengers must present a valid COVID-19 vaccination certificate showing that they were fully vaccinated at least 14 days before embarkation, except partially vaccinated or unvaccinated Ghanaians who are required to present a NEGATIVE 48hrs PCR test result to the airline before embarkation and to Port Health upon arrival.
9. Traveller Role – Uploading the vaccination card onto the PanaBIOS trusted travel platform
a. Create an account on the AU-endorsed site: https://trustedtravel.panabios.org or on the UNDP-endorsed Global Haven site: www.globalhaven.org
b. Click on the “Trusted Vaccines” tab.
c. Choose user type to create vaccination booklet (self or dependent if uploading for someone).
d. Indicate the country of vaccination.
e. Choose pathogen/disease (SARS-CoV-2).
f. Fill the vaccination campaign column (i.e., Type of vaccines and the number of shots).
g. Fill the vaccination record (i.e. Batch number, manufacturer, vaccination date and vaccination card number).
h. Upload the vaccination card.
i. The system will verify your vaccine records and issue you with a code and a pass.
j. Either the vaccine code or the pass is adequate for travel.
k. The vaccine code or the pass will be verified and validated by Port Health before departure and upon arrival into Ghana.
l. The vaccine code or the pass will be pre-validated by the airline before check-in at departure.
m. If unvaccinated, take a PCR test within 48 hours of your embarkation to Ghana and validate the test result at https://trustedtravel.panabios.org or www.globalhaven.org
10. Airline Role
a. Airline pre-embarkation staff must confirm that passengers have BOTH a Vaccine Code from PanaBIOS and a Vaccine Card before check-in.
b. Airline operators should inspect, and ensure that every passenger shows proof of a pre-validated vaccination certificate (QR Code) from the PanaBios platform before they are allowed to board the flight except partially vaccinated or unvaccinated Ghanaians/Foreign resident passengers who are required to present a NEGATIVE 48hrs PCR test result to the airline before embarkation and to Port Health upon arrival.
c. Sanctions will be applied by Port Health to airlines who do not comply to the guidelines and protocols.
11. Port Health Role
a. Port Health will validate the vaccination certificate both physically and using the PanaBIOS platform of travelers embarking and disembarking at the airport, seaport, and ground crossing.
b. Port Health will provide technical assistance, supervise, and monitor the airlines to enhance effective implementation.
c. Port Health will apply sanctions to airlines who do not comply to the guidelines.
d. Disembark Non- Ghanaian passengers who did not upload their vaccination certificates.
e. Disembark Non-Ghanaian passengers who are not fully vaccinated per the guidelines.
f. Travelers who are found to possess ‘fake’ or ‘vaccination certificate belonging to other persons’ will be handed over to the National Security. Customer support: globalhaven@panabios.org. Additional information on how to comply with these directives are available at: www.panabios.org/advisories/Ghana Additional information and guides can be accessed on the Ghana Health Service and Africa CDC website (www.africacdc.org/trusted-travel).
