From 1 October 2026, the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) begins strict enforcement of its requirements for importing used vehicles under Ghana Standard GS 4510. If you are buying a car from a US auction or dealer, these rules decide whether the vehicle can enter Ghana at all — so they have to be checked before you approve a vehicle, not after it has been shipped.
What will be refused entry
Based on the GSA's announcements as reported in August 2026, the following used vehicles will not be permitted:
- Vehicles more than 15 years old. The GSA revised this threshold from an earlier proposal of 10 years.
- Vehicles with major damage — those submerged in water or damaged by floods, burnt or damaged by fire, and vehicles with broken, cracked, bent or twisted chassis or safety cages.
- Vehicles originally manufactured as right-hand drive.
- Vehicles assembled from spare parts.
- Vehicles without a speedometer that displays kilometres per hour.
"No Certificate of Conformity, no entry"
Every used vehicle must be inspected in its country of origin by a GSA-approved third-party inspection body, which issues a Certificate of Conformity (CoC) confirming the vehicle meets the applicable Ghana Standards. This happens before shipment, under the Pre-Export Verification of Conformity (PVoC) programme. Vehicles are also verified again on arrival.
Vehicles already on the water
According to the GSA, vehicles shipped before 1 October 2026 are exempt from the new requirements, even if they arrive in Ghana after that date.
Don't confuse this with the customs over-age penalty
The 15-year GSA limit is about whether a vehicle may be imported. Separately, the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority applies an over-age penalty to vehicles older than 10 years when calculating duty. A 12-year-old vehicle may therefore be importable but more expensive to clear.
How RNJ applies these rules
Every vehicle option we present in your Customer Portal now carries a Ghana import check: model-year age against the 15-year limit, left-hand drive, a km/h speedometer and no flood, fire or structural damage. We book the pre-shipment inspection and record the Certificate of Conformity number in your shipping details, so you can see it before your vehicle sails.
If a vehicle fails any of these checks, we will not recommend it — however good the auction price looks.
Regulations can change. This article reflects announcements available in September 2026; we update it when the GSA publishes changes.
General information only — not legal, tax or customs advice. Rules and rates change; check with the relevant authority before relying on any figure.
