Documents and verification
No apostille for Ghana, and no legalisation by the embassy. The HCCH status table (last updated 30 June 2026) does not list Ghana as a party to the Apostille Convention (HCCH). Do not order an apostille. The German Embassy in Accra says legalisation of Ghanaian public documents was discontinued because the requirements are not met (mission page). Re-check the HCCH table before you start.
What Germany does instead: document verification
- Ghanaian birth or marriage certificates cannot be legalised for use in Germany; reasons given are many incorrect documents and regular forgeries. German authorities may judge freely whether a document is genuine (mission page, FAQ).
- If a German authority (for example a registry office or an immigration office) doubts a document, it can ask the embassy for a document verification. You cannot start it yourself, and neither can a lawyer. The embassy talks only to the requesting authority (verification page).
- Cost: €350 for checks in Greater Accra or the Eastern Region, €550 for other regions. The authority may ask you to reimburse it, usually with a deposit.
- Duration: 6 to 10 months from the day all documents are complete; more than a year in some cases. Embassy-appointed lawyers make local enquiries.
- What you supply: data-protection declaration, originals plus one copy each (no translations), two passport photos, one questionnaire per person, a copy of the passport's biometric page, copies of school reports (BECE/WASSCE) and older documents (voter ID, baptismal certificate), and directions to the family home drawn in English with landmarks, contact person's name, phone number and relationship (required if you lived outside Ghana for more than 10 years: directions to the parents' house). The embassy does not work with anyone who prepares directions, and no staff member does so for a fee.
- In the visa procedure documents may also be checked (family page).
Certifications at the embassy
- Certification of signatures €60, of photocopies €24 each, paid in cedi at the current rate or (signatures) by card; school certificates are certified free after a DAAD confirmation note, in about five working days (mission page).
- The embassy offers no translations and says there are no certified German-English translators in Ghana; it lists some translators without responsibility. Ask the receiving German authority first whether it accepts the translation. Whether English documents need a translation depends on the authority.
- Police certificates: see the embassy page on police clearance certificates.
Documents you will usually need
| Document | Notes |
|---|---|
| Passport | Valid beyond the planned stay. |
| WASSCE certificate, degrees, transcripts | For study and recognition; WASSC scratch-card data for online verification (Study). |
| Birth and marriage certificates | Family cases; verification may follow. |
| Police certificate | Only if a German office asks. |
| Employment contract, CV, recognition decision | Work and training routes. |
German documents for use in Ghana
The Federal Foreign Office says the law of the country of use decides whether an apostille or legalisation is needed (FAQ). What Ghanaian authorities require for German documents was not confirmed.
Recognition bodies may ask more than the embassy: Recognition. Never pay anyone to "speed up" verification: Scams.
A question this page does not answer? Contact us. Free orientation only, no legal advice for individual cases.