Ghana rolls out chip-embedded passport

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has commercially rolled out chip-embedded passport documents beginning Monday, April 28, this year. The reform for the mass roll-out of the new travelling document, which replaces the old biometric passport which becomes extinct after 2030 began fifteen years ago.

At an official mass roll-out of the new passport at the Passport Head Office in Accra on Monday, this week, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, said the security features of the chip-embedded passport make it hardly impossible for anybody to duplicate.

“I must say that this new passport is ICAO compliant and I am proud to say that former President Nana Addo and current President John Mahama have both received their new passports. Later in the day, former President John Agyekum Kufuor will receive his,” he announced.

Given the high-security features of the new passport, Mr Okudzeto advised that the document must be handled with immense care to prevent any damage to it.
The success of this far-reaching and progressive reform at the Passport Office, an excited Mr Okudzeto assured all the over 70,000 applicants whose passports have been uncollected for months now to be certain of free courier delivery by Ghana Post on their request.

He added, “These reforms have come to replace the cumbersome and bureaucratic processes of acquiring passports in Ghana. Again, the days of middlemen are over because, you know, at the head office is an e-tracking dashboard that tracks the applicant’s registration online from day one to the final delivery of their passport by Ghana Post.”

Another progress made by the ministry, the Minister said, was the delivery of passports within 15 days for regular applicants and five days for ‘VIP’ applicants who would be required to pay a little more than the GH¢350 required fees, which is awaiting the amendment and approval by the Fees and Charges Act of Parliament.

“I am pleased to announce that the Passport Head Office has commenced 24-hour operations from today, Monday, April 28, 2025. Very soon, we will make our other offices operate for 24 hours. We need to move with the time,” he encouraged all the sectors.

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