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Claim: On May 25, 2025, GhanaWeb published an article claiming that the U.S. Embassy in Ghana had adjusted its visa fee exchange rate to GHS16 per $1. Rainbow Radio Online later picked up on this report.
Verdict: This claim is misleading because it does not accurately reflect the official exchange rate communicated by the U.S. Embassy. In response to an inquiry, the Embassy confirmed that its official consular exchange rate remains GHS 13 per $1, not GHS 16 as previously reported. The figure cited in the media appears speculative or based on unverified information, rather than an official statement or published rate.
Full Text
On May 25, 2025, several online platforms, including GhanaWeb and Rainbow Radio Online, reported that the U.S. Embassy in Ghana had increased its consular exchange rate to GHS 16 per $1 for visa fee payments. The claim generated considerable public reaction, particularly in light of the cedi’s recent appreciation against the U.S. dollar.
The claim gained traction on social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter).
A post by GhanaWeb, which made the claim, was reposted more than 280 times and received over 200 comments and 1,200 likes at the time of verification.
Background
The Ghanaian cedi (GHS) has shown signs of stabilisation and appreciation recently.
During the period the claim circulated, the Bank of Ghana’s official interbank exchange rate ranged between GHS 10.80 and GHS 13.20 per $1.
Thus, the notion that the U.S. Embassy was using a rate as high as GHS16 per dollar raised eyebrows, with some social media users accusing the embassy of profiteering or imposing unfair financial burdens on visa applicants.
DUBAWA decided to investigate this as part of our mandate to promote truth in public discourse.
Verification
To establish the claim’s veracity, DUBAWA conducted a multi-step verification process involving official embassy communication, website inspection, interviews with visa agents, and analysis of foreign exchange data.
Through its Press Section, the U.S. Embassy in Ghana responded to our request for comment, saying, “The consular exchange rate has been GHS13 to $1 since May 19. The GHS16 rate that briefly appeared online was due to a technical hitch. It has since been corrected.”
This contradicts the viral claim and confirms that no official change to the consular rate had been made.
DUBAWA also approached the claimants to request evidence supporting their assertion that visa clients purchased the visa at 16. However, they did not respond to the request.
To independently verify the Embassy’s explanation, DUBAWA reviewed the official U.S. visa services website for Ghana on May 27, 2025, and saw the Embassy apologise for posting the wrong exchange rate.
At the time of the inspection, the published consular exchange rate was GHS13 per dollar, precisely in line with the Embassy’s assertion.
A travel agent, Evans Omari-Appiah, who spoke to DUBAWA, confirmed that, despite the confusion, payments have continued to be processed using the GHS13 rate.
“No client was charged at GHS16,” one agent noted. “The website glitch confused people, but payment portals still used the GHS13 rate.”
DUBAWA examined the Bank of Ghana’s records, which showed that the interbank exchange rate fluctuated between GHS 12.80 and GHS 13.20 per dollar during the same period.
This rate matches the U.S. Embassy’s officially confirmed rate of GHS13, disproving the widely circulated claim that the rate was GHS16.
Conclusion
The claim that the U.S. Embassy in Ghana has pegged its visa exchange rate at GHS16 to $1 is misleading. The official website, feedback from travel agents, and the Bank of Ghana’s exchange data disprove the claim.
While technical issues may have led to a momentary display of an inaccurate rate, there is no evidence to suggest that the rate of $1 to GHS16 was ever applied in practice.
