The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has advanced plans to ensure all 16 regions in the country get a passport application center by December 2025, Sector Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has indicated.
This, the Minister says, is aimed at decentralising passport services to improve accessibility across the country. He notes that some of the new centers will be commissioned this month, with the first one in Bolgatanga, the Upper East regional capital.
Ablakwa made the announcement at a ceremony to hand over diplomatic passports to five distinguished Ghanaians: travel vlogger Wode Maya, Grammy-nominated reggae artist Rocky Dawuni, broadcaster and entrepreneur Anita Erskine, contemporary visual artiste Ibrahim Mahama, and British-Ghanaian entrepreneur Dentaa Amoateng MBE.
He lauded the efforts adopted by the Ministry so far to ensure passport services are less stressful compared to previous years, highlighting how applicants now receive their passports in record time via courier services, thereby eliminating the need for stressful trips to collection centres.
“The Foreign Affairs Ministry has become very efficient, and Ghanaians are already confirming that now it is a smooth process. They are receiving their passports in record time and do not have to stress to pick them up at passport offices, because they are being delivered via courier services.
“But we still have seven regions without passport application centres. I am delighted to announce that by December, we will make sure every region without a passport application centre has one, starting with Bolgatanga this month,” he said.
Dentaa, Wode Maya, Ibrahim Mahama react to diplomatic passport honour
