The Ghana Card can’t be used for international travel, Foreign Affairs Ministry
By: Christina Nana Adjoa Acquah
acquahchristina309@gmail.com
The Ghana Card cannot currently be used as a sole document for overseas travel, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration.
This means that a passport and a travel certificate are still required for travel outside of the country.
On Tuesday, June 14, 2022, Sector Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchway responded to queries in Parliament with this clarification.
“The Ghana Card is not intended to replace the present biometric passport.” The Ghana card is a travel document that can be used in addition to our biometric passport. “It must be emphasized that the passport, along with the traffic certificates, are the only internationally recognized approved travel documents,” she stated.
Despite being rejected by the International Civil Aviation Organization, the deployment of the Ghana Card caused debate after Vice President Dr. Bawumia declared the card completely matched the requirements for an E-passport (ICAO).
The Ghana Card has been certified by ICAO and hence qualifies to be used as an identity card for international travel instead of a passport, according to the government. By 2022, the vice president said, the Ghana card would be accepted as an electronic passport in 197 nations.
However, on the floor of Parliament, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway stated that the protocols for accepting the Ghana card as a source document for overseas travel have not yet been concluded.
“At this time, the Ghana Card cannot be used to travel to other nations, either inside or outside of the ECOWAS region.” This will necessitate bilateral agreements with countries to allow the card to be accepted as a travel document. “To achieve this, the Ministry is in active engagement with ECOWAS member states as well as our bilateral partners,” she stated.