Last updated: June 2026
Yes, you can buy property in Ghana from abroad, and the whole purchase can be completed remotely. As a foreign national you hold a 50-year renewable lease and own the building outright; dual citizens can hold 99 years. The safe route is the same every time: verify the title at the Lands Commission, use a Ghanaian lawyer and a written power of attorney, pay only into a law-firm or escrow account, and buy from a developer with a delivery record.
Thousands of diaspora Ghanaians and foreign investors buy in Accra each year without setting foot on the site until handover. The process is well established, the law is clear, and the digital tools now exist to do it safely from London, Houston, Toronto or anywhere else. What separates a smooth purchase from a painful one is not luck. It is following the right sequence and working with the right people. This guide walks through both.
Can you buy property in Ghana from abroad?
Yes. There is no requirement to be resident, or even present, to buy. The reservation, due diligence, signing and registration can all be done remotely through a lawyer acting under a power of attorney. What you are buying is a leasehold interest in the land plus outright ownership of the building, which is secure once properly registered.
Remote purchase is normal here. Developers run virtual viewings and video walkthroughs, lawyers handle verification and signing, and banks accept funds through formal channels that create a clean paper trail. The questions worth asking are not whether you can buy from abroad, but how to hold tenure correctly, how to confirm the land is clean, and how to move money safely. Each is covered below. If your purchase is off-plan, also read our diaspora checklist for buying off-plan.
What can foreigners and the diaspora actually own?
Foreign nationals hold a 50-year renewable lease; Ghanaian and dual citizens hold up to 99 years. In both cases you own the building outright, and the lease can be mortgaged, transferred and passed to your children. Freehold land is reserved for citizens, but for an apartment buyer the leasehold structure changes very little in practice.
Tenure is set by the 1992 Constitution and the Land Act 2020. The distinction sounds significant but rarely affects an apartment purchase, since you are buying a unit in a building rather than open land. The lease renews, and the asset is yours to let, sell or bequeath.
| Buyer | Maximum leasehold | What you actually own |
|---|---|---|
| Ghanaian and dual citizens | 99 years, renewable | The building outright, on a long lease of the land |
| Foreign nationals | 50 years, renewable | The building outright; the lease is mortgageable, transferable and inheritable |
For a fuller treatment of ownership rights, see can foreigners own property in Ghana.
The remote buying process, step by step
The sequence is: define your goal and budget, reserve the unit, appoint a Ghanaian lawyer, run a Lands Commission title search, sign the Sales and Purchase Agreement, pay through a law-firm or escrow account, then register the title. Allow about 5 to 14 working days for the search and 3 to 6 months for registration.
In order: 1. Set your objective, rental income, capital growth, a future home, or a mix, since it shapes the unit and location. 2. Reserve the unit with the developer. 3. Appoint an independent lawyer in Ghana, not one introduced by the seller. 4. Have the lawyer run the title search before any substantial payment. 5. Review and sign the Sales and Purchase Agreement, in person or by power of attorney. 6. Pay only into the law firm’s client account or an escrow account. 7. Register the interest at the Lands Commission. Registration includes a 21-day public notice period, which is why it takes a few months.
Engaging a lawyer and verifying the title
Hire an independent Ghanaian property lawyer before you pay anything. Their first job is an official search at the Lands Commission, which confirms the seller’s ownership and flags disputes, encumbrances or overlapping claims. A search costs roughly GHS 500 to 1,500 and takes about 5 to 14 working days; the online portal lets you follow it remotely.
Land disputes are the most common problem in the market, and almost all of them surface in a proper search. The lawyer also reviews the indenture and the Sales and Purchase Agreement, and can execute documents on your behalf under a power of attorney. Treat the title search as non-negotiable: it is the cheapest insurance you will buy. Our full walkthrough is here, how to verify a land title at the Lands Commission.
Power of attorney: buying without flying
If you cannot travel, you grant a written power of attorney to a trusted person or your lawyer in Ghana so they can sign on your behalf. Executed abroad, it must be notarised and then consularised at a Ghana mission. Ghana is not part of the Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille alone is not enough, a point many guides miss.
This is the step most diaspora buyers get wrong. A power of attorney signed in the UK, US or Canada needs to be notarised by a notary public and then legalised (consularised) at the Ghana High Commission or Embassy in your country. An apostille, which works for Hague-convention countries, does not by itself satisfy Ghanaian requirements. Getting this right up front avoids a rejected document and a stalled purchase. We cover it in detail in power of attorney for a property purchase in Ghana.
How to pay: cash, payment plan, or mortgage
There are three routes: pay cash, take a developer payment plan (often 10% to 30% down with the balance in milestones over the build), or use a diaspora mortgage (about 20% down, USD rates roughly 10% to 14% versus 25% to 32% in cedis). Where you can, borrow and price in USD to sidestep cedi swings.
| Route | Typical upfront | Interest | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash purchase | Full price | None | Buyers with funds ready, and the strongest negotiating position |
| Developer payment plan | 10% to 30% deposit, balance in milestones | None | Off-plan buyers spreading payments across the build, usually 12 to 36 months |
| Diaspora mortgage | About 20% deposit | USD roughly 10% to 14%; cedi 25% to 32% | Buyers using leverage, ideally borrowing in USD rather than cedis |
On currency: the cedi was Africa’s best-performing currency in 2025, rallying strongly before stabilising, and inflation has fallen to a record low of around 3.2%. That is encouraging, but exchange rates still move, so pricing and financing in US dollars is the durable hedge for an overseas buyer. Several banks run diaspora mortgage products; compare them in mortgages and financing for property investment in Ghana, and see why a soft cedi can favour the diaspora buyer in the weak cedi and the diaspora advantage.
Built for buyers abroad
Imaani apartments are fully titled and delivered on a 100% on-time record, so a purchase made from abroad still lands exactly as promised. See what is selling now.
View available apartmentsThe true cost of buying
Budget about 5% to 10% above the purchase price for acquisition costs: legal fees of roughly 1.5% plus VAT, tiered stamp duty, and, on new developments, VAT plus the associated levies. These are predictable when you buy a completed unit in a registered development, and easy to underestimate when you do not.
The advertised price is not the final figure. Build the extras into your budget from the start so there are no surprises at completion. New, professionally developed apartments make this straightforward, the costs are documented and the paperwork is clean.
Buy from a developer with a track record
The strongest protection against completion risk is the developer’s record. At Imaani Homes we have delivered four developments in Accra since 2019, every one on time, with two fully sold out. That history, not a brochure promise, is what tells a remote buyer their money is safe and their home will be handed over as agreed.
Across our four developments, the pattern has held: deliver on time, hand over exactly as promised. JAK Royale, our debut, sold out and was delivered on schedule. The Ivy, a collection of 3 and 4-bedroom townhomes, also sold out and completed on time. Alexis Residence in Tesano is now over 90% sold, with only three two-bedroom units left. Our new flagship, Regalia in the Airport Residential Area, is open for reservations off-plan, and it carries the same standard behind it. For a buyer thousands of miles away, that delivery history is the assurance that matters most. It is also why the safest purchase is a completed or well-advanced home inside a registered development, which sidesteps most of the risks that catch buyers of raw land. If scams are your worry, read how to avoid property scams in Ghana from abroad.
Managing the property remotely
Once you own, professional management keeps the asset earning without you in the country. Managed apartments in prime areas such as the Airport Residential Area and Cantonments tend to hold higher occupancy than self-managed ones, and your income, in a stable development, can be received and, under the GIPC framework, repatriated in convertible currency through an authorised bank.
Modern developments offer integrated management: tenant sourcing, rent collection, maintenance and reporting. That is what makes a property in Accra a genuinely hands-off investment from abroad. Income earned can be sent home through formal banking channels, net of taxes, under Ghana’s investment-promotion rules. To see what those returns look like, read the Accra rental-yield breakdown, and for the bigger picture, is Accra a good place to invest in 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreigner buy property in Ghana?
Yes. Foreign nationals cannot hold freehold land, but they can hold a 50-year renewable leasehold and own the building on it outright. The lease can be mortgaged, transferred and inherited. Ghanaian and dual citizens can hold leases of up to 99 years.
Can I complete the purchase without travelling to Ghana?
Yes. Every stage, reservation, due diligence, signing and registration, can be handled remotely. Most buyers appoint a lawyer in Ghana and grant a power of attorney so documents can be signed on their behalf.
How do I verify the land title from abroad?
Your lawyer runs an official search at the Lands Commission before any money changes hands. A search costs roughly GHS 500 to 1,500 and takes about 5 to 14 working days, and the Lands Commission’s online portal lets you track it remotely.
What does it cost beyond the purchase price?
Plan for about 5% to 10% of the price in acquisition costs: legal fees of around 1.5% plus VAT, tiered stamp duty, and on new developments VAT plus the levies. Buying a completed home in a registered development keeps these predictable.
How do I avoid being scammed?
The single biggest risk is a property sold more than once. An official title search plus a licensed, established developer removes most of it. Never pay into a personal account, always use a law firm or escrow account, and treat pressure to pay quickly as a warning sign.
About Imaani Homes
Imaani Homes is an Accra-based luxury real estate developer, established in 2019, building investment-grade apartments in Ghana’s most prestigious addresses. Across four developments we have delivered every project on time, with two fully sold out: JAK Royale, our debut development, and The Ivy. Alexis Residence in Tesano is over 90% sold, and our flagship Regalia, in the Airport Residential Area, is open for reservations. Our standard is simple: the right property, in the right address, delivered exactly as promised.
Buying from overseas?
Send us your budget and timeline and we will map the full remote-purchase path for you, from reservation to keys in hand.
Start your remote purchaseImportant notice. The figures in this article, including yields, prices, costs, tax rates, and timelines, are indicative estimates based on current market conditions and public sources, and are provided for general information only. They are not guarantees, forecasts, or financial, legal, or tax advice. Actual figures vary with circumstances and change over time. Before making any decision, seek independent professional advice. All purchases are governed solely by the terms of the relevant Sales and Purchase Agreement.