The Ghana Armed Forces - the Army, Navy and Air Force - recruit once a year through their own online portal, separately from the police, immigration, fire and prisons services. There are two ways in:
| Route | For | Leads to |
|---|---|---|
| Enlistment | BECE, WASSCE and technical certificate holders | Recruit training, then the ranks |
| Officer cadet | WASSCE holders (Regular Cadet) or graduates (Regular Career Officer Course) | The Ghana Military Academy, then a commission |
The figures below are from the 2026/27 notice, published on 31 August 2026, with the portal opening on 4 September. Each year’s notice sets its own rules, so read the current one before you apply.
Who can apply
- Ghanaian citizens of good character, medically fit to Armed Forces standards, and able to pass the pre-joining fitness test.
- Regular Cadets must be unmarried, not bonded to another employer, and aged 18 to 26 by the date the notice sets.
Grades
| Certificate | Asked for |
|---|---|
| BECE | Six credits, grades 1 to 6, including English, Mathematics and Science |
| WASSCE | 6 credits, A1 to C6, including Core English, Core Mathematics and Core Science |
| SSSCE | Six credits, A to D, in the same core subjects |
| City and Guilds | Five O Level credits including English and Maths, and A to D in three A Level subjects |
| A degree (officer course) | No lower than Second Class Lower, in a discipline that matches the stream |
A D7 is a pass, not a credit, and does not meet these. — Is D7 a credit?
Height
| Minimum | |
|---|---|
| Men | 168 cm |
| Women | 160 cm |
The Military Police ask for more.
The stages
- Apply online on the portal named in the notice, in the window it sets.
- Shortlisting, announced on the same portal.
- Screening at regional centres: documents, a fitness test, a medical, and an aptitude test and interview.
- Final selection, then training.
Bring originals of everything you uploaded to screening: your certificates, birth certificate and Ghana Card. A certificate that does not match WAEC’s own record ends the application, and in 2026 recruits already in training were dismissed after forged WASSCE results were found.
Nobody can buy you a place
The Armed Forces warn every year about people posing as officers or “connection men” who take money to secure enlistment. Anyone who asks you for money beyond what the official notice states is a fraudster, and paying one can disqualify you.
The other services
The police, immigration, fire and prisons services recruit together, through the Interior Ministry’s portal, with different ages and heights. — Joining the police — Joining the immigration service — Checking WASSCE results — Finding a job in Accra