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ghana Ghana v.2026-05-15

Violent local clashes, curfews, terrorist activity, and inter-communal disputes affect northern border areas including Bawku and the Burkina Faso frontier.

  • Article
  • mis à jour 2026-05-15

As of 2026-05-15, official advisories tell travelers to avoid all travel to some northern and border areas of Ghana. The strictest notices apply to specific zones. Germany posted the latest listed update on 2026-05-14.

What Is Being Advised

Avoid all travel to the strictest official zones, especially northern border areas linked to Burkina Faso, Togo, and Cote d'Ivoire. Two official advisories use avoid-all-travel or equivalent highest-level language for parts of Ghana.

Avoid non-essential travel to other named areas, including Bawku Municipal area and places within 25 km of the Burkina Faso border. If your route depends on northern Ghana, border crossings, or the named towns below, check the current official page before booking transport and again before departure.

Use heightened caution elsewhere in Ghana where advisories cite crime, robbery, clashes, curfews, landmines, or local security risks. Accra, Busua beach, Kokobrite/Kokrobite, Walewale, Ashanti Region, and Western Region appear in at least one caution-level official notice.

Where exactly this applies

Named higher-risk places and scopes include:

  • Northern Ghana's border areas with Burkina Faso and Togo, especially Upper East and North East.
  • Bawku, Garu, Zebilla, Tempane, Nalerigu, and Walewale.
  • Northern border areas with Cote d'Ivoire.
  • Within 25 km of the Burkina Faso border.
  • Bawku Municipal area in the Upper East Region.
  • Gbele National Park in the northwest, the Burkina Faso border zone, the Cote d'Ivoire border zone, the Togo border zone, and the northeast, as listed by France Diplomatie.
  • Accra, Busua beach, Kokobrite/Kokrobite, Ashanti Region, and Western Region in Italian caution notes.
Organizations issuing warnings
  • Auswartiges Amt (Germany)
  • Department of Foreign Affairs (Ireland)
  • Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia)
  • Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (Switzerland)
  • Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (United Kingdom)
  • Global Affairs Canada
  • Ministere de l'Europe et des Affaires etrangeres (France)
  • Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale (Italy)
  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Japan)
  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (New Zealand)

The Northern Border Risk Is The Main Trip-Changer

Germany's 2026-05-14 advisory warns against travel to northern Ghana's border areas with Burkina Faso and Togo, especially Upper East, North East, Bawku, Garu, Zebilla, Tempane, Nalerigu, and Walewale. It also advises against travel to northern border areas with Cote d'Ivoire and cites violent local clashes and curfews. Source: Auswartiges Amt Ghana travel advice.

France's 2026-04-15 security-zone advice places parts of Ghana in red, orange, and yellow advisory zones. The named areas include Gbele National Park in the northwest, the Burkina Faso border zone, the Cote d'Ivoire border zone, the Togo border zone, and the northeast. Source: France Diplomatie Ghana advice.

Canada's 2026-05-04 advisory tells travelers to avoid non-essential travel within 25 km of the Burkina Faso border because of inter-communal disputes and terrorist activity. Source: Global Affairs Canada Ghana advice.

The UK advisory checked on 2026-05-14 advises against all but essential travel to the Bawku Municipal area in Upper East Region. Source: FCDO Ghana warnings and insurance.

Other Places Flagged For Heightened Caution

Italy's 2026-05-11 Viaggiare Sicuri notes mark Bawku for clashes and curfew, Walewale for security risks, and Accra, Busua beach, and Kokobrite/Kokrobite for robbery. The same source flags Ashanti Region and Western Region because of landmines, and separately marks Accra for security risks with advice to avoid the affected area or activity and follow local instructions. Source: Viaggiare Sicuri Ghana.

Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and Japan each keep Ghana above ordinary baseline advice in at least part of their current guidance. Canada cites crime for countrywide high caution; New Zealand cites crime for increased caution; Japan's 2024 notices cite ongoing security risks and tell travelers to monitor reliable information and take safety measures.

What To Do Before You Book

For Ghana plans staying in Accra, Cape Coast, Kumasi, or other areas outside the highest-level border warnings, the official inputs support heightened caution for those routes. Check the current official page for your nationality and the local situation before paying for non-refundable transport.

If your plan touches Bawku, Upper East, North East, the Burkina Faso border, the Togo border, the Cote d'Ivoire border, or long overland routes through northern Ghana, treat it as a higher-risk route. The advisories name those places repeatedly and use stronger language for them.

Do not rely on a hostel desk, a bus company, or an old forum thread as the final call for a border-area route. Use them for local texture after checking the official advisory page, local curfew notices, and same-week transport conditions.

Source Notes

The advisories used here were checked on 2026-05-14, one day before this article date. Update dates vary: Germany lists 2026-05-14, Italy 2026-05-11, Canada 2026-05-04, Australia 2026-01-23, the UK 2025-12-10, Ireland 2025-08-19, Switzerland 2025-08-14, New Zealand 2024-11-28, and Japan 2024-10-01.

Native government labels differ by country, so this article translates them into traveler actions: avoid all travel, avoid non-essential travel, or use heightened caution. The strictest source-backed action is preserved where it applies.

Official source notes

Official source notes used for this article. Native government labels are preserved when available.

  • Auswartiges Amt (de) (avoid all travel; native label: Teilreisewarnung; updated 2026-05-14; checked 2026-05-14): Ghana: Teilreisewarnung. Germany warns against travel to northern Ghana’s border areas with Burkina Faso and Togo, especially Upper East, North East, and the cities of Bawku, Garu, Zebilla, Tempane, Nalerigu, and Walewale. It advises against travel to northern border areas with Côte d’Ivoire and cites violent local clashes and curfews.
  • Ministere de l'Europe et des Affaires etrangeres (fr) (avoid all travel; native label: Zones formellement déconseillées (rouge); Zones déconseillées sauf raison impérative (orange); Zones de vigilance renforcée (jaune); updated 2026-04-15; checked 2026-05-14): Ghana - Conseils aux voyageurs: security zones. France Diplomatie currently places parts of Ghana above ordinary baseline travel advice. Native severity labels are preserved as: Zones formellement déconseillées (rouge); Zones déconseillées sauf raison impérative (orange); Zones de vigilance renforcée (jaune). Named areas/routes/borders include: Parc national de Gbelé au nord-ouest du pays, Zone frontalière avec le Burkina Faso, Zone frontalière avec la Côte d’Ivoire, Zone frontalière avec le Togo, Nord-est.
  • Global Affairs Canada (ca) (avoid non-essential travel; native label: Avoid non-essential travel; updated 2026-05-04; checked 2026-05-14): Ghana: Border area with Burkina Faso - Avoid non-essential travel. Avoid non-essential travel to within 25 km of the border with Burkina Faso due to the risk of inter-communal disputes and terrorist activity.
  • Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (gb) (avoid non-essential travel; native label: FCDO advises against all but essential travel; updated 2025-12-10; checked 2026-05-14): Ghana: FCDO advises against all but essential travel. Areas where FCDO advises against all but essential travel Bawku Municipality FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the Bawku Municipal area in the Upper East region of Ghana. Find out why FCDO advises against travel to Bawku Municipality.
  • Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (ch) (avoid non-essential travel; native label: regional — wird von Reisen ins Grenzgebiet zu Burkino Faso abgeraten; updated 2025-08-14; checked 2026-05-14): FDFA travel advice for Ghana. The FDFA advises against tourist and non-urgent travel in specified parts of Ghana. The current FDFA update note was published on 2025-08-14.
  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs (jp) (avoid non-essential travel; native label: レベル2：不要不急の渡航は止めてください。（継続）; updated 2024-10-01; checked 2026-05-14): Ghana: レベル2：不要不急の渡航は止めてください。（継続）. Japan MOFA keeps Ghana in the listed area at レベル2：不要不急の渡航は止めてください。（継続）; travelers should avoid non-essential travel. The update notes cite ongoing security risks and advise travelers to monitor reliable information and take sufficient safety measures.
  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs (jp) (avoid non-essential travel; native label: レベル2：不要不急の渡航は止めてください。（引き上げ）; updated 2024-10-01; checked 2026-05-14): Ghana: レベル2：不要不急の渡航は止めてください。（引き上げ）. Japan MOFA keeps Ghana in the listed area at レベル2：不要不急の渡航は止めてください。（引き上げ）; travelers should avoid non-essential travel. The update notes cite ongoing security risks and advise travelers to monitor reliable information and take sufficient safety measures.
  • Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale (it) (heightened caution; native label: sicurezza - Area di particolare cautela; updated 2026-05-11; checked 2026-05-14): Area di particolare cautela. Official Viaggiare Sicuri marks Bawku in Ghana for above-baseline travel caution due to clashes and curfew. Travelers are advised to use heightened caution and follow local authority instructions.
  • Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale (it) (heightened caution; native label: sicurezza - Area di particolare cautela; updated 2026-05-11; checked 2026-05-14): Area di particolare cautela. Official Viaggiare Sicuri marks Accra, spiaggia di Busua e Kokobrite in Ghana for above-baseline travel caution due to robbery. Travelers are advised to use heightened caution and follow local authority instructions.
  • Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale (it) (heightened caution; native label: sicurezza - Area di particolare cautela; updated 2026-05-11; checked 2026-05-14): Area di particolare cautela. Official Viaggiare Sicuri marks Walewale in Ghana for above-baseline travel caution due to security risks. Travelers are advised to use heightened caution and follow local authority instructions.
  • Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale (it) (heightened caution; native label: sicurezza - Area di particolare cautela; updated 2026-05-11; checked 2026-05-14): Area di particolare cautela. Official Viaggiare Sicuri marks Regione di Ashanti in Ghana for above-baseline travel caution due to landmines. Travelers are advised to use heightened caution and follow local authority instructions.
  • Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale (it) (heightened caution; native label: sicurezza - Area di particolare cautela; updated 2026-05-11; checked 2026-05-14): Area di particolare cautela. Official Viaggiare Sicuri marks Regione Occidentale in Ghana for above-baseline travel caution due to landmines. Travelers are advised to use heightened caution and follow local authority instructions.
  • Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale (it) (heightened caution; native label: sicurezza - Area di particolare cautela; updated 2026-05-11; checked 2026-05-14): Area di particolare cautela. Official Viaggiare Sicuri marks Accra in Ghana for above-baseline travel caution due to security risks. Travelers are told to avoid the affected area or activity and follow local instructions.
  • Global Affairs Canada (ca) (heightened caution; native label: Exercise a high degree of caution; updated 2026-05-04; checked 2026-05-14): Ghana - Exercise a high degree of caution. Exercise a high degree of caution in Ghana due to crime.
  • Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (au) (heightened caution; native label: Exercise a high degree of caution; updated 2026-01-23; checked 2026-05-14): Smartraveller advisory for Ghana: Exercise a high degree of caution. Australia Smartraveller lists Ghana at "Exercise a high degree of caution" on its current destinations index. The destination entry was updated on 2026-01-23.
  • Department of Foreign Affairs (ie) (heightened caution; native label: High Degree of Caution; updated 2025-08-19; checked 2026-05-14): Ireland DFA: High caution - Ghana. Ireland DFA currently rates Ghana as High Degree of Caution. Irish tourists should treat the destination as elevated risk and check the official page for local security and travel conditions.
  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (nz) (heightened caution; native label: Exercise increased caution; updated 2024-11-28; checked 2026-05-14): Ghana: Exercise increased caution. Exercise increased caution in Ghana due to crime (level 2 of 4).
  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs (jp) (heightened caution; native label: レベル1：十分注意してください。（継続）; updated 2024-10-01; checked 2026-05-14): Ghana: レベル1：十分注意してください。（継続）. Japan MOFA keeps Ghana in the listed area at レベル1：十分注意してください。（継続）; travelers should exercise a high degree of caution. The update notes cite ongoing security risks and advise travelers to monitor reliable information and take sufficient safety measures.