The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has disclosed new guidelines for obtaining Ghanaian passports, aiming to simplify the process and eliminate excessive costs.
The ministry recently took decisive action by conducting surprise inspections at the Accra passport office.
During this visit, the sector minister announced the termination of contracts with contract staff, highlighting that this measure was implemented to streamline and enhance the passport application procedure.
Expressing concern over the exorbitant fees citizens were being compelled to pay, the minister emphasized that the highest amount anyone should pay for a premium service Ghanaian passport must be GH¢300. The ministry has now provided a breakdown of the revised fees for acquiring a passport through an official press release issued on August 17, 2023.
This announcement also included contact information for reporting any unsatisfactory services at the Passport Application Centers (PACs).
In accordance with the updated guidelines, the application process is conducted primarily through the passport application portal, passport.mfa.gov.gh. The processing fees for the passport are paid electronically via the ghana.gov.gh platform, as follows:
For a 32-page booklet: GH¢100.00
For a 48-page booklet: GH¢150.00
It’s important to note that these payments are conducted electronically and not through cash transactions.
Regarding expedited services, the statement indicated that regular applications submitted to the PACs would not incur any additional costs.
However, applicants have the option to submit their applications to the Premium PACs, which require an extra payment of GH¢150.00. This premium service fee is to be paid in cash at the Premium Centers.
To break down the revised costs, an applicant opting for a 32-page booklet through the Premium Center would be required to pay a total of 250 cedis. Meanwhile, a 48-page booklet applicant would pay a total of 300 cedis, including 150 cedis for the application via electronic payment and another 150 cedis in cash at the Premium Center.
The changes announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration aim to create a more transparent, efficient, and cost-effective passport application process for the citizens of Ghana.
READ FULL STATEMENT OF THE MINISTRY BELOW:
REPUBLIC OF GHANA
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND REGIONAL INTEGRATION
PRESS RELEASE
HOTLINES FOR REPORTING UNSATISFACTORY SERVICE
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has observed with grave concern complaints by some passport applicants about extortion and mistreatment meted out to them at some Passport Application Centres (PACs). In an effort to deal with the situation, the Ministry is urging applicants who suffer any mistreatment or extortion to report such incidents to the following email address and mobile numbers with the names of the officers and the PACs for redress:
Email: ipab@mfa.gov.gh
Mobile numbers
024-091-3284
024-079-3072
020-455-2056
020-455-2750
026-804-9031
026-979-4871
The Ministry further wishes to remind the general public that passport applications are made on the passport application portal — passport.mfa.gov.gh and payment for the approved processing fees for the passport is made on the ghana.gov.gh platform based on the following:
i. 32-page booklet – GH¢100.00
ii. 48-page booklet – GH¢150.00
The payment is made ELECTRONICALLY and NOT BY CASH.
As part of measures to be implemented, all officers will be made to wear name tags. The public is thereby advised not to engage any person who is unable to identify themselves with the issued name tags, as they most likely are imddlemen, usually referred to as “goro boys”. The Ministry further urges passport applicants to always use the official channel to acquire their passports and desist from engaging unauthorised persons in the passport application process.
Furthermore, officers who have already served more than a year at the PACs will be replaced with immediate effect and the Ministry’s policy of the yearly rotation at the PACs will be enforced to the letter.
The public is advised to note that applications submitted to the regular PACs does not come an an extra cost. However, applicants have the option of submitting their applications to the Premium PACs, which attract an additional GH¢150.000 payable in cash at the Premium Centers for the use of their service.
The Ministry counts on the cooperation of the public in addressing this menace.