In 2022, The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway disclosed that Ghanaians cannot embark on foreign travels with their Ghana card.
She said the provisions that will allow nationals from this country to do that have not been instituted yet.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament, the Minister said the passport and travel certificate remain the official documents for travelling outside the country.
“The Ghana Card is not a replacement for the current biometric passport. The Ghana card serves as an optional travel document to be used in tandem with our biometric passport. It must be underscored that the passport together with the traffic certificates are the only approved travel documents that are internationally recognized”, she said.
The rollout of the Ghana Card sparked conversations after the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, said the card has fully met the requirements for an E-passport, despite a rejection by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
In March, the Ghana Immigration Service announced that Ghanaians travelling back to the country can do that with the Ghana card.
This follows the recognition of the Card as an ICAO-compliant travel document which will serve as an optional travel document. A statement issued by the Head of Public Affairs, Superintendent Michael Amoako-Atta, of the Immigration Service said until bilateral agreements are signed with other countries, the Ghana Card cannot be used to travel outside the ECOWAS sub-region.
It said
“Ghanaians who have renounced their Ghanaian citizenship to obtain the citizenship of another country are not eligible to travel on the Ghana Card.
“It should also be noted that dual nationals holding the Ghana Card will not require visas to enter Ghana.”
“Upon arrival, the identity of the Ghana Cardholder will be verified against the National Identity Register,” it added.
The statement also highlighted the entry procedures that there shall be designated booths at the Kotoka International Airport to process Ghanaian passengers who travel on the Ghana Card into the country.
It noted that
“Once the passenger’s identity has been successfully verified, the passenger is admitted into the country.”
The Immigration service indicated that
“It is an offence under Section 52 of Immigration Act, 2000 (Act 573) for a person to fraudulently acquire or use a forged or fake travel document and convicted offenders may be fined and/or imprisoned.”
