Ghana will from next year move from issuing biometric passports to\u00a0chip-embedded ones to its citizens globally, Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Minister, Hanna Tetteh, has announced.<\/p>\n
This is to enable the country meet international standards, as well as make it possible for Ghanaians in the diaspora to acquire passport from Ghana’s 57 missions and consulates worldwide.<\/p>\n
[contextly_sidebar id=”fIe51nVreJTP9NGsZBxZFpqZlU44WGtI”]According to Hanna Tetteh, Ghanaians with the current biometric passport will also\u00a0 be required to upgrade to the chip-embedded ones which can be acquired locally from all the 10 regional passport application centres .<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we are going to do is not to give you a biometric passport but rather to upgrade the system \u00a0to begin to issue from next year, the chip embedded passport. We are therefore going through a procurement process to build up the infrastructure across all our embassies.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is our 57 missions and consulates, the passport office in Accra and ten regional passport application centres so that across all the embassies of Ghana, you will now be able to apply for what will be the chip embedded passport which is an upgrade on the biometric passport. What we will have in Japan is a data capturing centre. You will still have to fill a passport form but one of things we are doing is that we\u00a0 are putting the forms online. You would\u00a0have to provide your\u00a0 supporting documentation, your birth certificate, information that proves you are who you say you are.\u201d<\/p>\n
She announced this during a meeting with the Ghanaian community in Tokyo, Japan.<\/p>\n
Acquiring Ghanaian passport still difficult<\/strong><\/p>\n The acquisition of Ghanaian passport remains very tedious<\/a><\/strong><\/span> for prospective\u00a0applicants. The process is still very slow and fraught with illegal charges.<\/p>\n There are sometimes shortages<\/a><\/strong><\/span> of passport forms across the country.<\/p>\n –<\/p>\n By: Marian Ansah\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana
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