By Hannah Dadzie
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has announced the introduction of a 24-hour “one-day passport service,” allowing applicants with urgent travel needs to receive their passports within a day for a special fee of 2,000 cedis.
Speaking at a news conference in Accra, Mr. Ablakwa said the new expedited service, available for the 48-page booklet, is designed for emergency cases such as medical travel, urgent business assignments, or official missions, and will be processed under strict verification protocols.
“This service is unprecedented. It caters to emergencies such as medical travel or last-minute business trips. Within 24 hours of applying, your passport will be delivered,” Mr. Ablakwa explained.
He, however, emphasized that those without urgent needs can still access the regular service at GH¢350 within 15 working days, stressing that the one-day option is reserved for applicants with compelling exigencies.
Mr. Ablakwa gave the assurance that despite the premium charge, the one-day service would not compromise the integrity of the passport issuance process, adding that all applications, whether regular or expedited, will go through full biometric and security checks.
The Minister also announced a reduction in the standard passport application fee, from GH¢500 to GH¢350, with both the fee reduction and the new one-day service taking effect from Thursday, November 13, 2025, following Parliament’s approval of the new fees and charges regime.
According to Mr. Ablakwa, the move forms part of broader efforts to make passport services more accessible while maintaining high standards of security and efficiency. He cautioned the public against engaging middlemen, popularly known as “Goro Boys,” stating that their illegal operations have been effectively dismantled.
“The era of ‘Goro Boys’ is over. Applicants must apply online through the official portal or at authorized passport application centres,” he stated.
Mr. Ablakwa said the Ministry is now focused on internal compliance, introducing “mystery applicants” at passport application centres to identify and weed out corrupt officials attempting to exploit citizens. According to the Minister, an officer caught extorting an applicant is now facing severe sanctions.
“What we have done is to introduce mystery applicants. So these days I’m in the business of sending mystery applicants to passport application centres, and yesterday we caught one who didn’t know where that applicant he was trying to extort from had been sent by the ministry.
And I can tell you that that officer is in very, very hot waters. We want to build a culture where every Ghanaian can access public services directly, efficiently, transparently, and affordably,” Mr. Ablakwa said.
The new pricing structure, coupled with technological innovations such as e-tracking and courier delivery, marks a new chapter in the government’s ongoing passport reforms aimed at improving service delivery and public trust.
Providing an update on the Ministry’s broader reforms, Mr. Ablakwa revealed that 215,807 Ghanaians have so far received the new chip-embedded passports since their rollout in April 2025. He added that all 16 regions will have passport application centres by the end of the year, with new facilities already operational in the Upper East Region and others expected to open in November and December.
Mr. Ablakwa also revealed that Ghana has secured visa-free travel agreements with 42 countries, including Serbia, Mozambique, Trinidad and Tobago, Morocco, and Angola, enhancing the global value of the Ghanaian passport.
He commended Ghana Post and Shark Express, which now deliver passports nationwide at no additional charge, and lauded the Ministry’s staff for clearing a backlog of over 40,000 applications.
