Go for Biometrics; Foreign Affairs Ministry to Passport Applicants Who Paid Old Fees
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has directed applicants who applied for passports before the implementation of the new prices to visit their selected application centres to complete the process.
In a notice to the public on September 17, the Ministry said this should be done by October 18 after which their application would be invalid for processing.
“Passport applications which were submitted before 1st April 2024, under the One Hundred Ghana Cedis (GH¢100.00) and One Hundred and Fifty Ghana Cedis (GHc 150.00) payment options and have not been processed would cease to be valid after 18th October 2024.”
It added, “The Ministry counts on the cooperation of the passport applicants under reference to undertake this important exercise.”
New Fee
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a notice on April 1, 2024, announced an upward adjustment in fees for all their services, including passport application.
This reflected on the Ministry’s passport application website on the same day with the 48-page expedited application which was GHC200 now going for GHc800, while a 32-page expedited application which was GHC150 now going for Ghc700.
Additionally, the 32-page standard application which was GHC100 is now Ghc500 with the formerly GHC150 for a 48-page standard application now GHc644.
The over 500% increment was described as insensitive and draconian by the Member of Parliament for the North Tongu Constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa who argued the review was done without recourse to Parliament.
Reports indicate that passport application has since drastically reduced.
Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini
