1982CruzStart Posted November 11, 2017 #1 Share Posted November 11, 2017 Does anyone have experience with getting a visa from Ghana using an official signed waiver for the vaccine? We have a cruise booked for 2018 that stops in Ghana and my DH can't take the yellow fever vaccine. The information online says that a vaccine certificate is required in order to get a visa. I will continue to investigate other avenues but am hoping for some real life experiences from CC friends. Thanks in advance to anyone that can help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Keith1010 Posted November 11, 2017 #2 Share Posted November 11, 2017 I would check with your cruise line to see if they obtain the visa for those on the ship. When we visited there a few years ago our cruise line obtained the visa on board the ship. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayayeff Posted November 11, 2017 #3 Share Posted November 11, 2017 Does anyone have experience with getting a visa from Ghana using an official signed waiver for the vaccine? We have a cruise booked for 2018 that stops in Ghana and my DH can't take the yellow fever vaccine. The information online says that a vaccine certificate is required in order to get a visa. I will continue to investigate other avenues but am hoping for some real life experiences from CC friends. Thanks in advance to anyone that can help. You still need to get the certificate even if there are medical reasons for you not to have the vaccination. The doctors letter stating that the person cannot have the vaccination on medical grounds needs to be taken to the clinic that gives the yellow fever vaccinations and they will issue the official YF certificate stating that the holder is exempt on medical grounds... At least that's how it worked for a colleague of mine travelling to a country that required it for entry... Anne... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1982CruzStart Posted November 12, 2017 Author #4 Share Posted November 12, 2017 Thanks Keith. I have contacted Regent to find out their position. Anne, we had success with other countries that required the certificate but accepted the official waiver. I want to find out about Ghana because they require the certificate in order to apply for the visa and i don't want to spend the money applying for the visa only to be told the the waiver is unacceptable. The fees are non-refundable. Thanks for replying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Keith1010 Posted November 12, 2017 #5 Share Posted November 12, 2017 You are very welcome. I feel fairly confident that the ship will be able to obtain the one day visa for you so hopefully that will work out. If the ship itself requires Yellow Fever Vaccination for the cruise then you can get the waiver. For us on a different cruise line and in 2014 Yellow Fever Vaccination was not required but I realize that things can change. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1982CruzStart Posted November 13, 2017 Author #6 Share Posted November 13, 2017 I think things have changed since 2014. When i look at the Ghana visa requirements, it now seems you have to do it in advance, must have 4 copies of the application along with 4 specifically sized photos and the yellow fever vaccine certificate. The application reminds me of the detailed one required by China. Hopefully this will all work out as i can't tell you how much i am looking forward to this trip. My DH is currently undergoing cancer treatments and we can't travel for the near future. He is doing well. Our hope is that he will be stable enough for us to get travel insurance and be able to take this trip. We picked the cruise before he got the diagnosis because we wanted to visit Lisbon again at the start and take a safari at the end. It would be very disappointing if we had to cancel becasue of this one port. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Keith1010 Posted November 13, 2017 #7 Share Posted November 13, 2017 Keeping my fingers crossed and sending you positive thoughts that this will all work out for you. Also I hope that all is successful with your husband's cancer treatments. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1982CruzStart Posted November 14, 2017 Author #8 Share Posted November 14, 2017 Keeping my fingers crossed and sending you positive thoughts that this will all work out for you. Also I hope that all is successful with your husband's cancer treatments. Keith Thanks Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie MeMe Posted November 17, 2017 #9 Share Posted November 17, 2017 You still need to get the certificate even if there are medical reasons for you not to have the vaccination. The doctors letter stating that the person cannot have the vaccination on medical grounds needs to be taken to the clinic that gives the yellow fever vaccinations and they will issue the official YF certificate stating that the holder is exempt on medical grounds... At least that's how it worked for a colleague of mine travelling to a country that required it for entry... Anne... Has your husband ever had yellow fever certificate? When we went to the travel medicine Dr., we took our old yellow fever cards that expired at least 10 years before. The Dr. now says that the Health Organizations of the world consider Yellow Fever vaccination to be lifetime. For one of us, she issued a new certificate stating lifetime vaccination and on the other one she updated and certified that card as lifetime. (one card was very "fragile" one was in good shape). So a travel medicine specialist can and does translate YFC into acceptable forms. She also added all our other vaccinations on this form. USA does not have YF vaccine now and must import doses from another country. It takes time to get the vaccine. Schedule with a specialist and they can help in most cases with precision. She checked our itinerary port by port and by date we'd be there to see what the risks were. One country no need for malaria medication because mosquito not present at the time we were visiting and on another the area we would visit had no danger while going inland 10 miles would need vaccination because of reported cases of disease. So these specialists are good at helping you decide exactly what is needed. They also could advise on husband's special vaccination and health needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1982CruzStart Posted November 17, 2017 Author #10 Share Posted November 17, 2017 Thanks for the suggestion. However my DH has never had the yellow fever certificate. He is now unable to have the vaccine and didn't travel anywhere he needed to have it prior to his health change resulting in him not being able to have it. We always visit the travel doctor prior to any trip to places with potential health issues. In the past we have received the official vaccine waiver and that has been sufficient for all other countries we visited. The issue with Ghana is that you have to provide a vaccine certificate when you apply for the required visa. As i don't want to go through all the work and expense of applying for the visa only to be told that a waiver is unacceptable i was trying to find out if anyone has been able to get the visa with an official signed government approved waiver. Thanks again to all that provided their input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare PaulMCO Posted November 18, 2017 #11 Share Posted November 18, 2017 I echo Keith's comments check with Regent or their VISA provider who is VisaCentral (CIBIT). For USA citizens Oceania/Regent has provided the visa in the past. Also Silversea did same. You also might ask your roll call board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1982CruzStart Posted November 18, 2017 Author #12 Share Posted November 18, 2017 Thanks for the suggestions and input. I have checked with Regent but for now they are saying it is too early for them to send out information on visas and vaccinations. We don't use their visa service as we are from Canada and use services here if need be though generally speaking we do our own visas and haven't had a problem doing so yet. I will keep digging. We have over a year before our cruise so i have lots of time to keep investigating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare PaulMCO Posted November 20, 2017 #13 Share Posted November 20, 2017 Thanks for the suggestions and input. I have checked with Regent but for now they are saying it is too early for them to send out information on visas and vaccinations. We don't use their visa service as we are from Canada and use services here if need be though generally speaking we do our own visas and haven't had a problem doing so yet. I will keep digging. We have over a year before our cruise so i have lots of time to keep investigating. The good thing about their Visa Service is that they will post what you need. (link below). Definitely early as they put together their needs about 6 months out. Presume you are on the Lisbon to Capetown cruise. What a great Itin... https://visacentral.com/tourkits?bookmark=1&login=rssc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1982CruzStart Posted November 20, 2017 Author #14 Share Posted November 20, 2017 The good thing about their Visa Service is that they will post what you need. (link below). Definitely early as they put together their needs about 6 months out. Presume you are on the Lisbon to Capetown cruise. What a great Itin... https://visacentral.com/tourkits?bookmark=1&login=rssc Thanks for the information and the link. I will check it out. Yes it is the Lisbon to CapeTown cruise we are on. Can't wait but still a little over a year until we go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie MeMe Posted November 21, 2017 #15 Share Posted November 21, 2017 I hope that your husband is doing well in treatment and that he enjoys this trip. Visas and rules and regulations are hard but it is much easier to do things early than standing in front of someone who maybe does not know all the rules themselves but can and will keep you from coming into a country. A little power and an official can be tough! Happy Trails to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1982CruzStart Posted November 21, 2017 Author #16 Share Posted November 21, 2017 I hope that your husband is doing well in treatment and that he enjoys this trip. Visas and rules and regulations are hard but it is much easier to do things early than standing in front of someone who maybe does not know all the rules themselves but can and will keep you from coming into a country. A little power and an official can be tough! Happy Trails to you. thank you. He is doing well though we have had some ups and downs with his treatments this time. This is a repeat performance for him but thankfully it is a cancer that is fairly easily treated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1982CruzStart Posted December 2, 2017 Author #17 Share Posted December 2, 2017 We got good news on another board. Regent told us that they provide a transit visa for Ghana that does not require a yellow fever vaccination certificate. One hurtle taken care of. Thanks again to everyone for their helpful posts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joan021 Posted February 11, 2018 #18 Share Posted February 11, 2018 I just got my Ghana visa directly from the Embassy; very easy. It was in my hand 6 days after I sent it off. They did not ask or require any info re yellow fever vaccine; after all their requirement is that you have it 10 days before entering and I am not entering until April so why would I necessarily have my vaccination now. That being said I got my exemption letter from my doctor who also filled out the official yellow fever certificate. I am bringing my old yellow fever certificate as well which shows I had the vaccination in 1968(!) which will work in other African countries Lynda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dog Posted April 11, 2019 #19 Share Posted April 11, 2019 Please report back about your Lisbon to Cape town cruise on regent. I will be doing this route on the Azamara Journey Nov. 2020. Would like to know re: vacinnations, visas, port excursions. dog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dog Posted July 25, 2019 #20 Share Posted July 25, 2019 On 4/10/2019 at 11:09 PM, dog said: Please report back about your Lisbon to Cape town cruise on regent. I will be doing this route on the Azamara Journey Nov. 2020. Would like to know re: vacinnations, visas, port excursions. dog Anyone help with this yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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