Authored by the expert who managed and guided the team behind the Ghana Property Pack
Yes, the analysis of Accra's property market is included in our pack
If you are a foreigner thinking about buying residential property in Accra, there is one rule you need to understand before anything else: you cannot own land outright in Ghana.
Instead, foreigners buy long leases, and the maximum term is capped at 50 years by Ghana's Constitution.
This guide breaks down exactly what you can and cannot do, how to stay safe from scams, and what the real costs look like in early 2026.
And if you're planning to buy a property in this place, you may want to download our pack covering the real estate market in Accra.
We constantly update this blog post to reflect the latest rules and market conditions in Accra.
Insights
- Foreigners in Accra can only hold leasehold interests up to 50 years at a time, making the remaining lease term a critical factor in property valuation and negotiation.
- Ghana's Land Act 2020 treats any company with more than 40% foreign ownership as a non-citizen, so setting up a local company does not bypass the 50-year lease cap in Accra.
- Marriage to a Ghanaian citizen does not grant foreigners the right to own freehold land in Accra, despite what some sellers may claim.
- Budget around 8% of the purchase price for total closing costs in Accra, including stamp duty (0.25% to 1%), Lands Commission fees, and professional charges.
- Double sales (the same Accra plot sold to multiple buyers) remain a common scam, often enabled when buyers skip official Lands Commission registry searches.
- The Lands Commission in Accra now offers online services for tracking applications and initiating some steps digitally, which can speed up the registration process.
- Land guards and intimidation tactics are explicitly criminalized under Ghana's Land Act 2020, so buyers should never accept these practices as normal in Accra transactions.
- Expect a realistic timeline of 3 to 9 months from signing to full registration for a straightforward residential purchase in Accra.
- Accra Metropolitan Assembly property rates are calculated annually based on market value, adding an ongoing holding cost that many foreign buyers overlook.
- Nominee or "front" ownership arrangements where a Ghanaian holds freehold on behalf of a foreigner are void under Ghana's Constitution, not just risky.
Can a foreigner legally own land in Accra right now?
Can foreigners own land in Accra in 2026?
As of early 2026, foreigners cannot hold freehold (permanent ownership) interest in land anywhere in Ghana, including Accra, because the Constitution explicitly makes any such agreement void.
The specific prohibition that matters most is simple: if you are not a Ghanaian citizen, you cannot own land outright, and no creative contract wording can change that.
The closest legal alternative for foreigners buying residential property in Accra is a properly registered leasehold interest, which can last up to 50 years at any one time and gives you the right to use, transfer, and benefit from the property during that period.
Ghana's foreign land restrictions are based on citizenship status rather than nationality, so a buyer from Nigeria, the United Kingdom, or the United States all face the same 50-year leasehold cap in Accra.
Can I own a house but not the land in Accra in 2026?
As of early 2026, most residential transactions for foreigners in Accra involve buying the building (the house or apartment) together with a leasehold right to the underlying land, rather than separating the two interests.
When you complete a purchase, you typically receive a registered lease instrument that documents your rights to both the structure and the land for the duration of the lease term.
When a lease expires in Accra, what happens to your building depends on the specific lease terms, but in many cases you will need to renegotiate a new lease or risk losing both the land access and improvements, which is why the remaining lease duration is so important when buying.
We created this infographic to give you a simple idea of how much it costs to buy property in different parts of Ghana. As you can see, it breaks down price ranges and property types for popular cities in the country. We hope this makes it easier to explore your options and understand the market.
Do rules differ by region or city for land ownership in Accra right now?
The 50-year lease cap and freehold prohibition for foreigners are national rules set by Ghana's Constitution, so they apply equally whether you are buying in Accra, Kumasi, or anywhere else in the country.
What does vary within Greater Accra is the administrative experience: some neighborhoods like East Legon, Cantonments, and Airport Residential Area have clearer documentation and faster Lands Commission processing, while areas with more stool or family land tenure can require additional consent steps.
These regional differences exist because Accra has a mix of state land, stool land, and family land, each with its own approval process and documentation requirements that can affect how smooth or complicated your purchase becomes.
We cover a lot of different regions and cities in our pack about the property market in Accra.
Can I buy land in Accra through marriage to a local in 2026?
As of early 2026, marrying a Ghanaian citizen does not grant you the right to own freehold land in Accra because Ghana's Land Act explicitly states that foreign ownership restrictions are not affected by marriage to a citizen.
If you purchase property with a Ghanaian spouse, you should ensure your interest is clearly documented in a properly registered lease instrument, and consider a written agreement between spouses that specifies each party's rights.
In the event of divorce in Ghana, the division of property depends on the specific circumstances and court decisions, so a foreign spouse without properly documented rights could face significant challenges keeping their interest in any land or property.
There is a lot of mistakes you can make, we cover 99% of them in our list of risks and pitfalls people face when buying property in Accra.
We have made this infographic to give you a quick and clear snapshot of the property market in Ghana. It highlights key facts like rental prices, yields, and property costs both in city centers and outside, so you can easily compare opportunities. We’ve done some research and also included useful insights about the country’s economy, like GDP, population, and interest rates, to help you understand the bigger picture.
What eligibility and status do I need to buy land in Accra?
Do I need residency to buy land in Accra in 2026?
As of early 2026, Ghana's land ownership restrictions focus on citizenship rather than residency, meaning you do not need a residence permit to purchase a leasehold interest in Accra.
There is no specific visa or permit legally required to complete a land transaction in Accra, though you will need valid identification documents and may need to be present for certain signature formalities.
It is technically possible to handle parts of a property purchase remotely through a Ghanaian lawyer with proper power of attorney, but at least one in-person visit is strongly recommended for due diligence, boundary verification, and neighborhood assessment in Accra.
Do I need a local tax number to buy lands in Accra?
In practice, foreigners purchasing property in Accra are commonly asked to provide a Ghana Revenue Authority Tax Identification Number (TIN) during registration workflows and compliance steps.
Obtaining a TIN as a foreigner in Ghana typically involves submitting identification documents to the GRA, and the process can take a few days to a couple of weeks depending on current processing times in Accra.
While not always legally mandatory, opening a local bank account in Accra is practically helpful for paying official fees, leaving a clean audit trail, and avoiding the cash-driven pressure that can accompany scam attempts.
Is there a minimum investment to buy land in Accra as of 2026?
As of early 2026, Ghana's land law does not impose a minimum investment amount for foreigners purchasing residential leasehold property in Accra, as the restrictions focus on tenure type (no freehold) and lease length (50-year cap) rather than purchase price.
There is no threshold that varies by location or property type for basic residential purchases in Accra, though separate investment or immigration programs may have their own requirements unrelated to the standard land acquisition process.
Are there restricted zones foreigners can't buy in Accra?
Ghana does not publish a single "foreigners forbidden" map for Accra, but certain land categories require specific consents or have additional restrictions that effectively limit foreign access.
The types of zones that can create complications for foreign buyers in Accra include state land (requiring government consent), stool or family land (requiring customary authority approval), and areas with special planning or environmental designations.
To verify whether a specific plot in Accra falls within a restricted or complicated category, you should request a Lands Commission search and have your lawyer confirm what land type it is and what consents will be required before signing anything.
Can foreigners buy agricultural, coastal or border land in Accra right now?
The same fundamental rule applies to all land types in Ghana: foreigners cannot hold freehold and are limited to leasehold interests of up to 50 years, whether the land is agricultural, coastal, or near borders.
Agricultural land in and around Accra can trigger extra approval layers, including planning permissions and potentially customary authority consents, making these transactions more complex for foreign buyers.
Coastal land in the Greater Accra region may involve environmental constraints, special zoning rules, and additional documentation requirements that add time and cost to the purchase process.
For most individual foreign buyers looking at residential property in Accra, the practical advice is to stick to clearly residential-zoned plots with clean documentation rather than venturing into agricultural, beachfront, or border-adjacent land without strong professional support.
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What are the safest legal structures to control land in Accra?
Is a long-term lease equivalent to ownership in Accra right now?
A properly registered long-term lease in Accra is not identical to freehold ownership, but it is the standard and legally recognized way for foreigners to control residential property, giving you the right to use, improve, and transfer the property for the lease duration.
The maximum lease length available to foreigners in Accra is 50 years at any one time, and while renewal is often possible in practice, it should be treated as a new negotiation rather than an automatic right unless your lease contract explicitly provides for it.
Yes, foreigners can legally sell, transfer, or bequeath their lease rights in Accra to another party, subject to the terms of the lease agreement, required consents, and proper registration with the Lands Commission.
Can I buy land in Accra via a local company?
Foreigners can purchase land in Accra through a locally registered Ghanaian company, but Ghana's Land Act 2020 includes an explicit anti-workaround rule that treats any company with more than 40% foreign ownership as a non-citizen for land purposes.
This means that if foreigners hold more than 40% of the equity in a Ghanaian company, that company is still subject to the same 50-year lease cap and cannot hold freehold land, so a local company structure does not magically convert a foreigner into a citizen buyer in Accra.
What "grey-area" ownership setups get foreigners in trouble in Accra?
Grey-area and legally questionable ownership arrangements are unfortunately common in Accra, often pitched to foreigners by sellers or intermediaries who claim to have workarounds for the freehold prohibition.
The most common risky structures include nominee arrangements (where a Ghanaian holds freehold "on behalf of" a foreigner), side letters or secret trust agreements that contradict registered documents, and unregistered interests where money changes hands but nothing is properly filed with the Lands Commission.
If Ghanaian authorities discover a foreigner using an illegal ownership structure in Accra, the arrangement can be declared void under the Constitution, meaning you could lose both the property and the money you paid with limited legal recourse.
By the way, you can avoid most of these bad surprises if you go through our pack covering the property buying process in Accra.
We did some research and made this infographic to help you quickly compare rental yields of the major cities in Ghana versus those in neighboring countries. It provides a clear view of how this country positions itself as a real estate investment destination, which might interest you if you’re planning to invest there.
How does the land purchase process work in Accra, step-by-step?
What are the exact steps to buy land in Accra right now?
The typical process for a foreigner buying residential property in Accra involves: hiring a conveyancing lawyer before paying any deposit, conducting a Lands Commission search to verify the registered interest, confirming site plan and survey details, signing the lease instrument with proper formalities, paying stamp duty, and filing for registration with all required documents.
From initial offer to final registration, a straightforward residential purchase in Accra realistically takes 3 to 9 months in early 2026, with 8 to 20 weeks being a reasonable estimate just to get to the filing stage if everything goes smoothly.
Key documents you will sign during an Accra land purchase include the lease agreement or assignment instrument (which must contain specific elements like parties, witnesses, site plan details, and solicitor stamp), along with various supporting documents including tax clearance evidence in many workflows.
What scams are common when it comes to buying land in Accra right now?
What scams target foreign land buyers in Accra right now?
Scams targeting foreign property buyers remain a significant risk in Accra, with the documentation gaps and weak enforcement in some transactions creating opportunities for fraudsters.
The most common scam types in Accra include double sales (where the same plot is sold to multiple buyers), fake or unapproved site plans, and "land guard" intimidation where groups demand payments to allow access to property you have already purchased.
Top warning signs of a fraudulent land deal in Accra include pressure to pay before completing registry searches, sellers who cannot produce original documents or tax clearance certificates, and site plans that look official but are not properly approved or do not match the instrument.
Foreigners who fall victim to land scams in Accra can pursue legal action, but recovery is often difficult and expensive, which is why prevention through proper due diligence is far more effective than trying to recover losses after the fact.
We cover all these things in length in our pack about the property market in Accra.
How do I verify the seller is legit in Accra right now?
The best way to verify a seller is legitimate in Accra is to use a "three-proof rule": obtain registry proof through a Lands Commission search, verify document integrity by checking all required elements are present, and confirm authority proof by ensuring proper consents exist if the land is stool, family, or state land.
To confirm the land title is clean in Accra, you should run official searches at the Lands Commission and request certified copies where possible, which will reveal any competing claims, disputes, or irregularities in the registration history.
Checking for existing liens, mortgages, or debts on land in Accra involves reviewing the registry record for encumbrances and requesting evidence of ground rent payments where applicable, as unpaid obligations can block consents needed for transfer.
A qualified Ghanaian conveyancing lawyer is the most essential professional for verifying seller legitimacy in Accra, as they can conduct proper searches, interpret documents, and identify red flags that a foreign buyer would likely miss.
How do I confirm land boundaries in Accra right now?
The standard procedure for confirming land boundaries before purchase in Accra involves hiring a licensed surveyor to verify that physical boundary markers match the site plan and that the site plan matches what is being registered with the Lands Commission.
Official documents you should review include the site plan attached to the lease instrument, any approved survey maps held by the Lands Commission, and the plotting records that show how the parcel fits within the broader area.
Hiring a licensed surveyor is strongly recommended (and often effectively required) for boundary verification in Accra, as the Lands Commission workflow emphasizes plan approval, plotting, and survey-related steps that must be properly documented.
Common boundary problems foreign buyers encounter in Accra include discovering the actual plot is smaller than represented, finding that boundary markers have been moved, or learning that the site plan does not match the instrument requirements and must be redone at additional cost.
Buying real estate in Accra can be risky
An increasing number of foreign investors are showing interest. However, 90% of them will make mistakes. Avoid the pitfalls with our comprehensive guide.
What will it cost me, all-in, to buy and hold land in Accra?
What purchase taxes and fees apply in Accra as of 2026?
As of early 2026, the total purchase taxes and fees for a land transaction in Accra typically range from 6% to 10% of the purchase price, covering stamp duty, Lands Commission charges, and professional costs.
The typical closing cost range in Accra breaks down to roughly 3% to 5% for stamp duty and registry fees, plus another 2% to 5% for legal, survey, and administrative costs, with 8% being a reasonable planning number for most foreign buyers.
The main individual fees include stamp duty on conveyance (0.25% to 1% depending on value), Lands Commission charges for searches, plotting, and registration (some fixed amounts, some percentage-based around 0.25% of land value), plus conveyancing lawyer fees, surveyor costs, and valuation expenses.
The core government taxes and fees do not differ significantly for foreign versus local buyers in Accra, though foreigners often face higher professional costs due to the additional complexity of ensuring full compliance with leasehold requirements.
What hidden fees surprise foreigners in Accra most often?
Hidden and unexpected fees in Accra typically add 1% to 3% beyond initial estimates, often catching foreign buyers off guard during the registration and documentation stages.
The most commonly overlooked fees include extra rounds of Lands Commission searches when initial documents do not match (around GHS 200 to 500 or USD 15 to 40 each time), site plan corrections if the first survey is rejected (GHS 1,000 to 3,000 or USD 80 to 240), and consent or tax clearance processing delays that require additional filings.
These hidden fees typically appear during the registration stage in Accra, after you have already signed documents and paid the seller, when the Lands Commission reviews your submission and identifies issues that require corrections or additional documentation.
The best protection against unexpected fees in Accra is to insist that every payment is receipted and tied to an official step, refuse informal "facilitation" payments, and have your lawyer review all Lands Commission requirements before you sign anything.
We made this infographic to show you how property prices in Ghana compare to other big cities across the region. It breaks down the average price per square meter in city centers, so you can see how cities stack up. It’s an easy way to spot where you might get the best value for your money. We hope you like it.
What sources have we used to write this blog article?
Whether it's in our blog articles or the market analyses included in our property pack about Accra, we always rely on the strongest methodology we can ... and we don't throw out numbers at random.
We also aim to be fully transparent, so below we've listed the authoritative sources we used, and explained how we used them and the methods behind our estimates.
| Source | Why it's authoritative | How we used it |
|---|---|---|
| Constitution of the Republic of Ghana (1992) | Ghana's highest law that overrides all other legislation. | We used it to confirm the freehold prohibition for non-citizens and the 50-year lease cap. We also verified that workarounds and creative wording cannot bypass these constitutional restrictions. |
| Land Act 2020 (Act 1036) | The main statute governing land interests and transfers in Ghana. | We used it to explain the 40% foreign company test and marriage rules. We also referenced its anti-land-guard provisions and lease transfer requirements. |
| Lands Commission - Deed Registration | The official government body that registers land interests. | We used it to list required documents and instrument formalities. We built our step-by-step process around what the Commission actually requires. |
| Lands Commission - Fees and Charges | The official fee schedule published by the registration authority. | We used it to estimate official charges for searches, plotting, and registration. We calculated the all-in cost range using these published rates. |
| Stamp Duty Act 2005 (Act 689) | The governing statute for stamp duty hosted by Ghana Revenue Authority. | We used it to extract conveyance stamp duty rate bands. We applied these percentages to our closing cost calculations for Accra. |
| Ghana Revenue Authority - TIN Portal | The tax authority's official guidance on taxpayer identification. | We used it to explain TIN requirements for property transactions. We included it as a checklist item for foreigners buying in Accra. |
| Ghana Revenue Authority - Tax Clearance Certificate | Official definition of TCC requirements from the tax authority. | We used it to explain what tax clearance proves and when it is required. We flagged it as a potential source of delays in registration workflows. |
| Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources - FAQ | The supervising ministry's summary of registration requirements. | We used it to cross-check Lands Commission document lists. We referenced it to keep our guidance beginner-friendly and accurate. |
| Accra Metropolitan Assembly - FAQs | The local authority responsible for property rates in Accra. | We used it to explain how property rates are calculated in Accra. We included it to highlight ongoing holding costs beyond the purchase. |
| Lands Commission - Online Services Portal | The Commission's official digital entry point for services. | We used it to note that parts of the workflow can be tracked online. We referenced it as a practical pointer for buyers interacting with land administration. |
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