Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has outlined sweeping reforms in passport administration, highlighting major strides in digitalisation, efficiency, and service delivery.
He was speaking at the Government Accountability Series held at the Presidency today, where he detailed how recent interventions have transformed the passport office.
Mr. Ablakwa announced that the rollout of chip-embedded passports on April 28, 2025, has placed Ghana among the leading African countries to implement this internationally compliant travel document.
“These next-generation passports boast over 175 advanced security features, up from 32 in the previous version, and they meet the highest international standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation,” he said.
“This has drastically improved the credibility and security of Ghanaian travel documents on the global stage.”
As of September 10, 2025, a total of 161,824 chip-embedded passports had been printed, with 122,895 already delivered to applicants through the Ministry’s newly introduced home delivery service.
“I personally delivered the first batch of passports to applicants at their homes and workplaces.
This symbolises our new approach of bringing government closer to the people,” the Minister added.
To tackle long-standing delays, the Ministry has rolled out 24-hour passport operations, ensuring delivery of passports within 15 days worldwide. A 24-hour customer call centre has also been established to support applicants.
Currently, there are 13 Passport Application Centres (PACs) in nine regions, with seven more expected to open this year, including a new facility in Bolgatanga.
“I know our compatriots in the Upper East have been agitating for this, and I am glad that next month your suffering will be over,” Mr. Ablakwa assured.
On affordability, the Minister disclosed that proposals have been submitted to Parliament to reduce passport fees from GHS 500 to GHS 350 for the 32-page booklet.
“It is quite miraculous that we are seeing all these reforms, these enhanced services, and yet the fees are going down,” he said.
He further revealed that a same-day passport service will soon be introduced for emergencies and members of the business community.
“When the new fees and charges take effect, Ghanaians will be able to obtain a passport in a day without going through a middleman or the infamous ‘goro boys’. The era of passport backlogs and exploitation is behind us now and gone for good,” Mr. Ablakwa declared.
The Ministry is also working on a modernised digital application platform integrated with the National Identification Authority for real-time cross-verification, reducing fraud and speeding up processing.
Additionally, Ghana’s missions abroad have introduced a five-day visa processing policy, with e-visas expected to roll out in 2026.
Story: Patrick Asford Boadu
