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The short answer
To import prepackaged food into Ghana you must be licensed by the FDA as an importer, the product must be registered, and you apply for an electronic import permit (eMDA) for each consignment, paying a verification fee that the FDA sets on the consignment's FOB value. The FDA says processing can take up to one working day after payment, and every consignment is physically inspected at the port.
Three things you need, in this order
The FDA's Guideline on Processing of Import Permit and Clearance of Prepackaged Foods (FDA/ICD/GDL-02/05, effective 2 July 2025) is the rulebook. It assumes three layers, and the permit is the last of them.
- An importer licence. Only businesses licensed by the FDA as importers may import.
- Product registration. Prepackaged food imported for sale must be registered first.
- An import permit per consignment. An approved eMDA electronic permit before the goods arrive.
The US International Trade Administration's Ghana guide (6 August 2025) describes the same structure and says the import permit is valid for one year. It also says applications are made through ICUMS, Ghana's customs single window, while the FDA guideline names the eMDA portal. Follow the portal the FDA tells you to use at the time; the documents asked for are the same.
Step 1: register as an importer
The FDA's older Guidelines for Registration as an Importer of Food (first issued in 2013) ask for the Imported Food Product Information Form, a copy of your business registration certificate and the fee, submitted by the owner or a competent company representative. Clearing agents may not complete the form. Processing takes up to 30 working days once the file is complete. That document gives a fee of GH¢400 under an earlier fee schedule (L.I. 2228); fees have since been reset by later legislative instruments, so treat it as historical and ask the FDA for the current amount.
Step 2: register the product
Each product, in each pack size and brand, needs its own FDA registration number, because the permit form asks for the full registration number. If an unregistered consignment does arrive, the guideline lets the FDA issue a temporary pseudo registration number so the goods can be cleared under detention, with registration completed after they leave the port. Do not plan on this: it is a rescue route, and detention costs fall on the importer.
Step 3: apply for the eMDA permit
The permit form asks for:
- Full product name with brand, and the full FDA registration number.
- HS code and unit of quantity (for example kg or ml).
- Importer's postal and location address; phone, fax and email for importer and exporter.
- Name and phone number of the authorised person; manufacturer's name and address for raw materials.
You pay the verification fee through a bank, the ghana.gov platform or approved points of entry. The FDA says processing may take up to one working day after payment; you track status online. Only approved permits are accepted at the port, a permit is presented to Customs once, and short-landed goods need a new permit.
How the FDA states its fees
The guideline does not print a figure. It says the verification fee is set by the Authority and depends on the consignment's FOB value, and that port and premises inspection is charged under the FDA fee schedule in L.I. 2386 (2019). The ITA guide gives FDA importer fees of 0.8% for food, 1.8% for drugs and 0.5% for cosmetics. Note that the FDA's 2025 export guideline cites a newer schedule, L.I. 2481 (2023), so confirm which schedule and rate applies on the day you apply.
- Example FOB value
- GH¢50,000 of packaged snacks
- Fee at 0.8% (ITA figure)
- GH¢400
- Underdeclared at GH¢30,000
- Fee paid GH¢240; shortfall GH¢160
- Penalty under the guideline
- Shortfall plus 100%: GH¢160 + GH¢160 = GH¢320 due
The figures above are an example. The underdeclaration rule is in the guideline: you pay the outstanding fee plus 100% of the defaulted amount as a penalty.
Why permits are refused or goods held
- The registration number on the permit does not match the product, brand or pack size that arrives.
- The FOB value declared is lower than the invoice, which triggers the shortfall and penalty.
- Less than two-thirds of the shelf life is left at clearance.
- Labels do not meet labelling rules or Ghana Standards.
- Quantities landed differ from the permit; short-landed goods need a fresh permit.
- The importer licence has lapsed, so no permit can be approved.
At the port
All prepackaged food consignments are physically inspected. Compliant goods are released; goods that can be fixed may be detained at your cost; rejected goods are re-exported or destroyed under FDA supervision, also at your cost. At least two-thirds of the shelf life must remain at clearance, so a product with a 12-month life needs eight months left when it lands. Products must also meet Ghana Standards. Tampering with a detained consignment is an offence. Our page on the ICUMS declaration covers the customs side.
Where Pryme fits
Paying a Nigerian food supplier and keeping the invoice, permit and payment together is where a Pryme Business account helps; the Compliance agent can prepare the document checklist for a person to approve. Outside Nigeria, Pryme works through regulated partners. See also importing Nigerian foodstuff.
Questions people ask
How long does an FDA Ghana import permit take?
The FDA guideline says up to one working day after the verification fee is paid, provided the importer is licensed and the product registered.
How much is the FDA import permit fee in Ghana?
The FDA sets it on the consignment's FOB value. The US ITA guide lists 0.8% for food; confirm the current schedule with the FDA.
Can a clearing agent apply for my FDA importer registration?
The FDA importer registration guideline says clearing agents may not complete the form; the owner or a competent company representative must.
What happens if my food arrives without FDA registration?
The FDA may issue a temporary pseudo registration number and clear it under detention, or detain, seize, re-export or destroy it at your cost.
Sources
- FDA Ghana, Guideline on Processing of Import Permit and Clearance of Prepackaged Foods (FDA/ICD/GDL-02/05, effective 2 Jul 2025) · accessed Oct 2026
- FDA Ghana, Guidelines for Registration as an Importer of Food (FDA/FERD/GL-REG/2013/01) · accessed Oct 2026
- US International Trade Administration, Ghana: Import Requirements and Documentation (6 Aug 2025) · accessed Oct 2026
- FDA Ghana, Guideline on Processing of Export Permit and Clearance of Prepackaged Foods (FDA/ECD/GDL-01/01, effective 30 Jun 2025) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.