Getting paid in dollars in Ghana: Foreign Exchange Accounts and the Bank of Ghana rule

The short answer

If you bill a client abroad in dollars, the money should go to a Foreign Exchange Account at a licensed bank. The Bank of Ghana's notice of 27 August 2025 says: "Foreign currency invoices may be issued only to expatriates (foreign nationals) or non-residents and proceeds from such transactions shall be paid into a Foreign Exchange Account (FEA) with any licensed bank."

That means you can't invoice a Ghanaian client in dollars. This page is general information, based on the Bank of Ghana's notices as we read them on 2 November 2026. We didn't read Act 723 itself. It isn't legal or tax advice.

Two different clients, two different answers

Your client	Can you invoice in dollars?	Where the money goes
A company or person abroad, or a non-resident	Yes, under the notice	A Foreign Exchange Account at a licensed bank
An expatriate, meaning a foreign national	Yes, under the notice	A Foreign Exchange Account at a licensed bank
A Ghanaian company or person in Ghana	No. Charge in cedis	Your normal cedi account

The notice is firm on the last row: "The Ghana Cedi remains the only legal tender in Ghana", and no resident may invoice or take payment in foreign currency for goods and services unless the Bank of Ghana has licensed or authorised them. A separate notice says the same about pricing and payment.

So a Ghanaian startup that wants to pay you in dollars because you work remotely isn't the same as a client in Berlin. Being remote doesn't change where the client is.

What if you're an employee?

The notice talks about invoices for goods and services. It doesn't name an employee's salary from abroad. So we can't tell you that a salary must go to a Foreign Exchange Account, and we can't tell you that it needn't. Ask your bank, and show it your contract. It's the bank that will have to handle the payment, so its answer is what you'll need in practice.

If you aren't sure which you are, read contractor or employee. A common sign is that a contractor sends invoices and an employee is paid through payroll.

What to ask your bank

We haven't named a bank or printed any fees here, because we didn't open any bank's page for this guide. So ask at the branch:

Can I open a Foreign Exchange Account with you for payments from a client or employer abroad?
What documents do you need? Should I bring my contract and invoices?
What do you charge on an incoming transfer?
Can I withdraw the money in dollars, or send it on, and at what cost?
What rate do you give me to change it into cedis?

You can see the reference rate on the Bank of Ghana's daily page. The rate you get is usually worse, so compare before you convert. If you ever show an exchange rate on an invoice, the notice says rates on invoices "must reflect prevailing market rates of commercial banks and be benchmarked against the Bank of Ghana's published reference rate".

Wise in Ghana

Wise lists Ghana as a country it can send to, and it lists GHS within Ghana among its currencies. So a client can pay your Ghanaian bank account in cedis through Wise. Holding money with Wise isn't on offer in Ghana: its list of places to hold money has South Africa as its only African country. See what Wise allows by country.

What to put on your invoice

Put the client's name and foreign address, so it's clear they're a non-resident. Then the work done, the amount, the currency, and the details of your Foreign Exchange Account. Our free invoice maker prints it to PDF, with nothing uploaded. Keep a copy of each one. Our invoicing guide has the full list.

An example

You do 40 hours at 10 USD for a client in Toronto, plus a 50 USD setup fee. Your invoice says 450 USD, and the client pays it into your Foreign Exchange Account. A bank along the way may take a correspondent fee, which Wise estimates at 15 to 50 USD on a SWIFT payment, so agree who covers that. If it's you, you might see 400 USD to 435 USD arrive.

Tax still applies

Having dollars in an account doesn't take them out of tax. GRA says a resident is taxed on worldwide income. Our guide to remote work taxes in Ghana explains instalments and the yearly return. Record the cedi value when you're paid, and keep your statements.

Next steps

See remote jobs open to people in Ghana and who is hiring. To see what dollar pay means in cedis, use the USD salary calculator. Applying is free, and nobody should pay for a job.