Traveling to Ghana as LGBTQ+: What the New Law Means
Ghana passed one of the world's harshest anti-LGBTQ+ laws in 2025. Here is what travelers need to know before booking a trip.
Photo: RainbowNews Editorial
In March 2025, Ghana's parliament passed the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Act. President John Mahama signed it into law shortly after. The law criminalizes same-sex relations, LGBTQ+ advocacy, and even showing support publicly. Penalties reach up to three years in prison. For LGBTQ+ travelers, Ghana is now one of the riskiest destinations in Africa.
What the Law Actually Says
Same-sex conduct was already illegal in Ghana under colonial-era law. The 2025 act goes much further. It bans promoting or funding LGBTQ+ rights. It penalizes anyone who assists a same-sex couple. It criminalizes wearing clothing associated with LGBTQ+ identity in public. The law also targets organizations. NGOs working on LGBTQ+ issues can be shut down and their staff prosecuted.
ILGA World ranks Ghana among the most restrictive countries in sub-Saharan Africa. In its 2024 report, ILGA listed Ghana as a country with active enforcement of same-sex criminalisation laws. The new 2025 law significantly worsens that ranking.
The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs updated its travel advisory for Ghana in April 2025. It explicitly warns LGBTQ+ travelers of legal risks and advises extreme discretion. The UK Foreign Office and the US State Department issued similar warnings. All three advise against any public display of same-sex affection.
On the Ground: What Travelers Have Reported
Before the 2025 law, arrests of LGBTQ+ individuals in Ghana were already occurring. In 2021, police raided an LGBTQ+ awareness training event in Ho. Over 20 people were detained. In 2023, Human Rights Watch documented multiple cases of extortion targeting gay men by police officers. Activists reported that Grindr profiles were used to lure and blackmail users.
Since the new law passed, local NGOs report a sharp rise in self-censorship. Several Ghanaian LGBTQ+ organizations have suspended operations or moved staff abroad. The international NGO Outright Action International confirmed this in a May 2025 statement. Travelers cannot rely on local support networks that existed even two years ago.
Ghana is also a transit hub for West Africa. Accra's Kotoka International Airport handles significant regional traffic. Travelers transiting through Ghana — even briefly — are technically subject to local law during their stay.
Practical Safety Tips
Before You Leave
- Delete dating apps such as Grindr, Scruff, and Hornet before arrival. Border officers have searched phones in documented cases across West Africa. See also our piece on apps every LGBTQ+ traveller actually needs in 2025 for privacy tools worth installing instead.
- Review your social media profiles. Make accounts private or remove posts that identify your relationship or sexual orientation. This applies to Instagram, Facebook, and X.
- Inform your home country's embassy of your travel plans. Register with the embassy's citizen notification service if available.
During Your Stay
- Do not hold hands with a same-sex partner in public. Do not show affection in hotel lobbies, restaurants, or on the street.
- When booking accommodation, avoid profiles or platforms that visibly identify you as an LGBTQ+ couple. Use neutral booking confirmations.
- Do not discuss your sexual orientation or relationship with local contacts unless you have established full trust over time.
- If approached by police, do not resist. Contact your embassy immediately. Keep the embassy's emergency number saved offline.
At the Hotel
- Request separate beds if you are uncomfortable with hotel staff assumptions. In Ghana, same-sex couples sharing a room can attract unwanted attention.
- Do not leave dating apps or explicit material visible on your device in communal hotel areas.
Where to Get Help
Local LGBTQ+ organizations in Ghana are currently operating under severe restrictions. Contacting them may expose both you and them to risk. For emergencies, your safest contacts are diplomatic missions.
| Organization | Contact |
|---|---|
| Dutch Embassy Accra | +233 30 214 3100 |
| UK High Commission Accra | +233 30 221 3250 |
| US Embassy Accra | +233 30 274 1000 |
| Rainbow Railroad (international evacuations) | rainbowrailroad.org |
Rainbow Railroad is an international NGO that assists LGBTQ+ individuals facing government-sponsored persecution. They have active programs in West Africa. If you face arrest or detention, they can coordinate with local lawyers and diplomatic contacts.
For comparison with other high-risk destinations in the region, our earlier report on traveling to Senegal as LGBTQ+ outlines a similar legal landscape in a neighboring country.
Should You Travel to Ghana?
Ghana remains an important destination for business travel, journalism, and humanitarian work. The country has strong infrastructure by regional standards. But the 2025 law creates real legal exposure for LGBTQ+ travelers. Enforcement is uneven, but arrests have happened and extortion is documented.
The honest assessment: if your trip is not essential, postpone it. If you must travel, apply strict digital hygiene, avoid any public display of affection, and keep embassy contacts accessible at all times. Do not assume discretion will always protect you. The law now gives authorities wide latitude to act.
Travelers curious about safer alternatives in the region or beyond may find it useful to compare destinations. Our guide on Taipei as Asia's most welcoming city for gay travellers shows what a more permissive legal environment looks like in practice.