Government has submitted a proposal to Parliament to reduce the cost of acquiring a Ghanaian passport, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has announced.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series in Accra on Monday, September 15, 2025, Mr. Ablakwa said the new Fees and Charges Bill proposes a cut in the application fee for the 32-page booklet from GHS500 to GHS350. The measure, he explained, is part of a wider reform agenda to make passport services more affordable and efficient.
In addition, the Ministry will roll out a same-day passport delivery option for emergency cases and members of the business community requiring super express processing. The service will, however, attract a premium fee.
Mr. Ablakwa highlighted significant reforms already undertaken to improve passport delivery and eliminate long-standing challenges.
“The era of passport backlogs—I inherited over 70,000—waiting months for passports and being exploited by ‘goro boys’ is all behind us, and gone for good,” he said.
Among the reforms are a modernised digital application platform, a 24-hour customer call centre, and a streamlined process integrated with the National Identification Authority (NIA) for real-time cross-verification, which reduces fraud and speeds up processing.
On consular services, the Minister noted that Ghanaian missions abroad have adopted a five-day visa processing policy, with e-visas expected to be introduced in 2026.
