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Effective immediately, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has revised the fees for passport applications in Ghana. The new fees are set at ¢500 for a 32-page booklet and ¢644 for a 48-page booklet for standard service. For expedited service, applicants will now pay ¢700 for a 32-page booklet and ¢800 for a 48-page booklet.
Old Prices
1. Expedited 32 Pages = 150
2. Expedited 48 Pages = 200
3. Standard 32 Pages = 100
4. Standard 48 Pages = 150
The decision to adjust the fees comes after the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, proposed the fee review to the Parliament’s Committee on Subsidiary Legislation in December last year. The aim is to address the financial challenges faced by the ministry, particularly in the printing of passport booklets.
Minister Botchwey emphasized the need for Ghanaians to pay realistic prices for passports to travel, citing the unsustainability of the previous subsidy. She explained that while Ghanaians paid around GH¢100 for a passport, the production cost was actually GH¢400 per booklet. This meant the government had to subsidize each passport by GH¢300, which was no longer viable given the current economic constraints.
The Chairman of Parliament’s Subsidiary Legislation Committee, Dr. Dominic Ayine, confirmed that the increase in fees was approved by Parliament. As a Regulation, it automatically became law after 21 days without objections.
The new fees aim to ensure the sustainability of passport production and meet the increasing demand for passports in Ghana.
