I hope to drive my UK-registered car from Gambia to Ghana in September. Then, I want to temporarily leave the vehicle in Ghana, fly home (back to work) and finally pick up the vehicle a few months later (then continue my journey down Africa).

Does anyone know if this process is possible?

1) I would have a Carnet for the car so I think entry should be ok. Am I right in thinking temporary imports are possible for right-hand-drive cars also? It looks like permanent imports are not allowed.

2) When I enter with a Carnet is my passport stamped to say that I entered with the vehicle or is it logged electronically? Would this stop me flying out of the country without the vehicle, even though I was planning to return (if necessary I could have a return ticket already booked).

3) Assuming the above is possible, does anyone know the maximum amount of time I could leave the car in Ghana? I have seen a limit of 3 months mentioned in the case of a temporary import but I'm not sure if this limit also applies if I have a Carnet? Is there anyone to increase the limit (if necessary I will adjust my itinerary to ensure I return within 3 months).

For Gambia, a local has told me the above process works but it's quite difficult to find the information for other countries. In some places I have heard people say that it is possible to leave your car temporarily impounded in a customs depot when away (for a fee). Maybe this is an option in Ghana?

Any ideas/advice are much appreciated. If it won't work for Ghana perhaps someone knows a nearby country where it might work?

I am in exactly the same situation, I need to leave my bike in Ghana for 1 month while I return to visit family in Europe... no idea if this is allowed? I don't have a carnet, just going to temporarily import it at the border

I'll try and answer from what I know from operating overland trips in West Africa:

1) I would have a Carnet for the car so I think entry should be ok. Am I right in thinking temporary imports are possible for right-hand-drive cars also? It looks like permanent imports are not allowed.

In all the years I have never had/found an official answer to this. But my understanding is that yes, RHD can be brought in on foreign plates as long as you are transiting the country. Permanent importation is banned unless you obtain special permission.

2) When I enter with a Carnet is my passport stamped to say that I entered with the vehicle or is it logged electronically? Would this stop me flying out of the country without the vehicle, even though I was planning to return (if necessary I could have a return ticket already booked).

If using a CDP your passport is not stamped in Ghana. It will be entered on a computer depending upon what border you cross at (ie the more remote the less likely they will enter it electronically).


3) Assuming the above is possible, does anyone know the maximum amount of time I could leave the car in Ghana? I have seen a limit of 3 months mentioned in the case of a temporary import but I'm not sure if this limit also applies if I have a Carnet? Is there anyone to increase the limit (if necessary I will adjust my itinerary to ensure I return within 3 months).

I believe it is 90 days, but do not know for sure. I've just looked through old CDP scans I took for Ghana, and the longest I had the truck in the country before leaving was 7 weeks (entered from Ivory Coast, exited at Burkina Faso).

For Gambia, a local has told me the above process works but it's quite difficult to find the information for other countries. In some places I have heard people say that it is possible to leave your car temporarily impounded in a customs depot when away (for a fee). Maybe this is an option in Ghana?

Possibly, but I don't know.

Thanks for the reply - that's really helpful.

Do you happen to know if they check the computer record against your passport if you try to leave the country without the car? Or is this more of an admin thing so they have a computerised list of all vehicles temporarily in the country and they can track if they have overstayed?

Anyway, it sounds like my best chance might be to enter at a fairly remote border crossing and hope it all works out well. Any idea which border crossing don't have the computerised system?

Niable CI - Oseikojokrom Ghana isn't computerised currently

Amazing. Thanks for the info

You could probably also do Bouna CI - Bole Ghana, would like someone else to confirm the Bole situation but it wasn't computerised

However, check locally on the situation in Bouna, was up there last weekend due to the Peul/Lobi conflict; it was stable but can easily flare up again, the IDPs are going to be in camps a while ...

Did you ever find out if leaving the vehicle in ghana was possible/ did you manage to do this. Which border did you end up crossing at.
I’m thinking of doing the same in order to go back home for a few weeks and also pick up my Nigerian visa

Yep I did. Sorry for not updating the thread. I entered at Niable and exited at the small border to the east of Kpedze. No one questioned why I had been there so long on exit and this was pretty much my experience throughout Africa (I also stored the car in The Gambia, Benin and Cameroon with no issues). If anyone asked, I would just point to the expiry date on the Carnet and say it was allowed.