The Ghanaian government has announced an increase in passport application processing fees effective from Monday, April 1, 2024. The new fees are as follows:
- Expedited application for a 48-page booklet: GH¢800
- Expedited application for a 32-page booklet: GH¢700
- Standard application for a 32-page booklet: GH¢500
- Standard application for a 48-page booklet: GH¢644
This adjustment comes after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration proposed a revision of the previous fees, which stood at GH¢100, to the new rates, with the highest being GH¢644.
In her statement to Parliament last year, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, defended the hike by emphasizing the need for Ghanaians to pay realistic prices for passports.
She highlighted that the government could no longer sustain the subsidy previously provided for passport applications.
This move signals a shift towards a more self-sustaining model for passport issuance in Ghana, reflecting the rising costs associated with processing and administrative tasks.
“Ghanaians pay just about GH¢100 for a passport yet to produce one passport booklet it costs GH¢400 which means that for every passport that an applicant acquires, the government has to put in GH¢300 and this is not sustainable,” she said.
