Ghanaians can now receive passports within 15 days – Ablakwa

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has launched a comprehensive reform of Ghana’s passport delivery system, assuring Ghanaians that all ordinary passport applications will now be delivered within 15 days.

At the launch event, Mr. Ablakwa revealed that passport applicants will no longer need to return to collection centers, as new courier services will deliver passports directly to their homes and offices.

“We are determined to eliminate bottlenecks and end the exploitation of citizens by middlemen who have thrived on the frustrations and delays caused by our old systems,” he emphasized.

The overhaul includes the rollout of electronic tracking (e-tracking) tools, enabling applicants to monitor the progress of their applications in real-time from submission to delivery.

These improvements are anchored in President John Mahama’s broader 24-hour economy vision, with passport offices now operating round-the-clock to meet growing demand and accelerate service timelines.

Mr. Ablakwa noted that the Ministry is also working to amend the Fees and Charges Act to allow for a 24-hour passport delivery option for urgent cases such as medical or academic emergencies.

According to the Minister, the sweeping reforms were driven by observations made during a personal visit to the passport office in his first week in office. “I was shocked to see over 70,000 uncollected passports. People have just given up.

The system was too cumbersome and frustrating,” he said. Mr. Ablakwa expressed confidence that the new measures will restore public confidence, eliminate inefficiencies, and end the “middleman phenomenon” that has plagued the passport application process for years.