The government has reduced passport application fees by 30 per cent, bringing the cost down from GH¢500.00 to GH¢350.00, effective today. The new fees, approved by Parliament, form part of efforts to make passport acquisition more affordable and accessible to all Ghanaians.
Announcing this at a press conference in Accra yesterday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, said the reduction would not affect the quality of passport booklets, nor compromise the security and convenience of the application process.
He also disclosed the introduction of a new one-day passport service for applicants with urgent travel needs, enabling them to receive their passports within 24 hours at a service fee of GH¢2,000.00.
Mr Ablakwa reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to safeguarding the integrity of the Ghanaian passport, stressing, “We will not allow any nefarious activity to undermine the gains we have made. The era of ‘goro boys’ is over.”
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn
Related Articles
To prevent foreigners from unlawfully acquiring Ghanaian passports, he said the ministry had enhanced its security protocols, including strict vetting and screening, and the deployment of artificial intelligence to detect suspicious activity. So far, 379 Ghana Cards belonging to foreigners have been confiscated, blocked from the application system and handed over to National Security for investigation.
He further indicated that the ministry had introduced “mystery applicants” to monitor and curb corruption at passport offices. These reforms, he indicated, were part of broader efforts to improve efficiency, transparency and national security in passport administration.
He advised the public to avoid using middlemen when applying for passports.
Touching on progress made since April 2025, the Minister revealed that about 215,807 Ghanaians had successfully applied for and received chip-embedded passports under the ongoing reform programme.
BY CYNTHIA ASAMPANA
🔗 Follow Ghanaian Times WhatsApp Channel today. https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAjG7g3gvWajUAEX12Q
🌍 Trusted News. Real Stories. Anytime, Anywhere.
✅ Join our WhatsApp Channel now! https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAjG7g3gvWajUAEX12Q
