Minister for Foreign Affairs Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has reiterated his commitment to establishing a passport office in each of the sixteen regions nationwide.

Speaking at the ceremony organised to hand over diplomatic passports to five distinguished Ghanaians, the Minister disclosed that,

“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.

He revealed that the first of the new centres will be commissioned this month in Bolgatanga, as part of efforts to decentralise passport services and improve accessibility across the country.

The Minister disclosed during 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 artist Ibrahim Mahama, and British-Ghanaian entrepreneur Dentaa Amoateng MBE.

Mr Ablakwa noted that ongoing reforms within the Foreign Affairs Ministry have already transformed the passport acquisition process, with applicants now receiving their passports in record time through courier services, 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.

The minister announced in mid-September that a new passport application office would be opened in Bolgatanga.

Speaking during a press briefing at the Government Accountability Series held in Accra on Monday, September 15, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, revealed that as part of efforts to expedite passport application service, a centre will be launched in October after months of anticipation.

“I am glad to note that the Bolgatanga passport application centre will be fully operational next month, in October. I know our compatriots in the Upper East have been agitating for this, and I’m glad that next month your suffering will be over. We apologise to you for all the stress and the hustle, but the wait is over. Next month, I will personally be in Bolga to open this new PAC,” he noted.

He also added that seven new centres will be opened this year to expand coverage.

“Currently, we have 13 passport application centres in nine regions with a breakdown as follows: three in the Greater Accra Region, two in the Ashanti Region, two in the Northern Region, one in Upper West, one in Eastern, one in Central, one in Volta, one in Western, and one in the Bono Region,” the North Tongu MP continued.

Also, the Minister revealed that, following the introduction of the chip-embedded biometric passport regime, officially launched on April 28, 2025, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, over 161,824 chip-embedded passports have been printed and more than half delivered to respective applicants.“As of 10th September 2025, a total of 161,824 chip-embedded passports have been printed, of which 122,895 have been delivered to applicants. Our reforms have also addressed the critical issue of delays in the processing of passport applications,” he added.

He said this had been made possible through the new passport operations, which provide 24-hour service.“Additionally, we have rolled out 24-hour passport operations, ensuring a shorter turnaround time for passport issuance and delivery within 15 days to any part of the world,” he noted.

On passport application booklet fees, the Minister assured that he will keep his promise of fighting for a reduction in price of the booklets, which were increased in 2024 by the Akufo-Addo-led administration with the justification that the adjustment was part of the 2023 Fees and Charges Regulations, L.I. 2481, which aimed to align service costs with production expenses. According to the Minister, his outfit has submitted proposals to Parliament and awaits Parliament’s response on the case.

He said, “The ministry has also received the tenders for the passport head office and annexe building project and is currently evaluating them. I’m also pleased to inform this gathering that, in keeping our promise, we have submitted proposals to Parliament as contained in the new Fees and Charges Bill fora  reduction in passport fees from 500 Ghana cedis to 350 Ghana cedis for the 32-page booklet.

"It is expected to come into force once Parliament resumes session and passes the new Fees and Charges Bill.

Before Parliament went on break, it was laid, and you know, for laws it has to meet a 21-day count, and we couldn’t get to 21 days before we took the break, but when we resume, certainly the count will be on, and after 21 days, this will come into force”.

The Fees and Charges Bill is a legislative framework that governs how public institutions in Ghana set, adjust, and collect fees for services they provide. It’s designed to ensure transparency, consistency, and economic relevance in how citizens are charged for accessing government services.

The North Tongu MP also announced that the long-standing practice of applicants waiting about three months to receive their passports will soon be replaced with a same-day passport issuance service. This express delivery system is expected to greatly reduce the influence of middlemen, popularly known as “goro boys,” who charge applicants exorbitant fees to expedite application services.

“Meanwhile, we are also introducing a same-day passport delivery service for those with emergencies and members of the business community who may require super express service with a shorter turnaround time beyond the expedited service that we already render, and this is also contained in the new Fees and Charges.“So when this new Fees and Charges matures, you will see that a new service provision will come into force where you can obtain a passport in a day without going through a middleman or a “goro boy” as they are infamously called, he added.

Meanwhile, in July, a total of 40,648 visas were issued by Ghana's missions in Washington, D.C., and New York from January 2025 to date and out of this, 28,626 were multiple-entry visas to Ghana.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs made this information known while debunking reports that it is responsible for the United States government's revision of the reciprocity schedule for a considerable number of African countries, including Ghana, reducing the B1/B2 visa validity from 5 years multiple entry to 3 months single entry.