How to Call Ghana From the US: Complete Guide (+233)

How to Dial Ghana From the US

Ghana uses the country code +233. With over 250,000 Ghanaian-Americans in the US and strong cultural ties between the two countries, calls to Ghana are common — especially to Accra, Kumasi, and Tamale.

Dialling Format

From a US phone: 011 + 233 + 9-digit number (without leading 0)

From a mobile with + dialling: +233 + 9-digit number (without leading 0)

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Ghana uses 10-digit numbers locally (starting with 0). Drop the leading 0 when calling from the US, leaving 9 digits after +233.

Example Calls

Ghanaian Mobile Prefixes

Ghana is a mobile-first country. Most calls you make will be to mobile numbers. Here are the carrier prefixes:

MTN has the largest network in Ghana with about 60% market share. If you are not sure of the carrier, the number prefix tells you.

Cost Comparison

At carrier default rates of $3-5/min, a weekly 30-minute call to family in Ghana costs $400-600/month. BubblyPhone drops that to $1.20/month. The savings are significant.

Best Time to Call Ghana

Ghana is on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT, UTC+0) year-round. Ghana does not observe daylight saving time.

5 hours ahead of ET (winter): 9 AM in New York = 2 PM in Accra
4 hours ahead of ET (summer): 9 AM EDT in New York = 1 PM in Accra
Best overlap: 5-7 PM ET = 10 PM - midnight in Accra (evening calls)
Or: 8-10 AM ET = 1-3 PM in Accra (afternoon calls)

Practical Tips

WhatsApp dominates. WhatsApp is the primary communication tool in Ghana. Nearly every Ghanaian with a smartphone uses it daily for calls, messages, and even business.
Mobile money culture. Many Ghanaians use MTN Mobile Money (MoMo). Do not be surprised if family asks you to send MoMo credit — it is the standard way to transfer money.
Network quality varies. Call quality is excellent in Accra, Kumasi, and other major cities. Rural areas and smaller towns can have patchy coverage, especially with data connections.
Power supply. Ghana experiences periodic power cuts ("dumsor"). If a call drops or someone is unreachable, a power outage may be the reason. Try again later.
Landlines are rare. Outside of businesses and government offices, almost nobody in Ghana uses a landline. Expect to call mobile numbers for personal calls.

Summary

To call Ghana from the US, dial 011 + 233 + 9-digit number (without the leading 0). BubblyPhone offers $0.01/min rates — far cheaper than carrier rates of $3-5/min. Ghana is on GMT (5 hours ahead of ET in winter). WhatsApp is the preferred communication method for most Ghanaians.