Ghana is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille will not be accepted there. A U.S. document going to Ghana needs legalization instead: certification by the state that issued it, authentication by the U.S. Department of State, and then legalization by Ghana’s embassy or a consulate in the U.S.
Ghana has 2 missions in the U.S., and which one takes your document depends on its state. We confirm it before submitting. The mission is decided by the state that issued or notarized the document, not the state you live in.
At a glance
Which mission takes your document
| Mission | States it covers |
|---|---|
| Washington, D.C. Embassy of Ghana |
Not published; we confirm per document |
| New York Consulate General of Ghana |
Not published; we confirm per document |
Checked October 2026. Where a mission does not publish its district, we confirm before submitting. For federal documents such as an FBI check, we confirm the mission before submitting.
Documents we legalize most for Ghana
| Document | Usually for |
|---|---|
| Birth and marriage certificates | Civil and family matters |
| Power of attorney | Land and property |
| Diploma and transcripts | Employment |
Things worth knowing
- Two missions legalize documents. We confirm which takes yours before submitting.
How it works
Step 1
Notarize if needed
Private documents only. Vital records and court records skip this.
Step 2
State certification
By the Secretary of State of the issuing state. Federal documents skip this.
Step 3
U.S. Department of State
Federal authentication in Washington, D.C.
Step 4
Ghana embassy or consulate
The mission for your document’s state.
Ghana Embassy Legalization: common questions
Can I get an apostille for Ghana instead?
No. Ghana is not in the Apostille Convention, so it needs the legalization chain ending at its embassy or consulate.
Does it matter which consulate I use?
Yes. Missions only legalize documents from the states in their district, decided by where the document was issued or notarized. Use the consulate finder.
How long does it take?
The state and federal stages take one to three weeks together, and the embassy stage adds its own time, which varies. Plan for several weeks in total, and longer around holidays.
Official sources
Requirements, fees and processing times are set by the authorities below and can change without notice. Verify anything time-critical directly with them.
HCCH Apostille Convention status table
Ready to get started?
Tell us the document and its state, and we will run the whole chain to the right Ghana mission.
Related: Embassy legalization · Non-Hague countries · Country checker · Translation requirements