The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced the clearance of more than 40,000 passport backlogs, ending years of delays that frustrated Ghanaians seeking travel documents.
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, disclosed the achievement during a media briefing in Accra, noting that the Ministry had fulfilled its pledge to eliminate bottlenecks in the passport issuance process and restore public confidence in government services.
“I am pleased to confirm that all the backlogs we inherited, in excess of 40,000, have been cleared. There are now no backlogs when you apply for your passport,” he said, attributing the progress to months of automation, reforms, and dedicated work by staff of the Passport Office.
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Mr. Ablakwa confirmed that ordinary passport applications are now processed within a maximum of 15 days, while expedited applications take under seven days. Citizens can track the progress of their applications in real time, from verification to delivery, through a new electronic system.
The Minister highlighted that passports are now delivered directly to applicants’ homes via Ghana Post and Shark Express at no additional cost, eliminating the need for middlemen or “Goro Boys,” a practice that previously undermined trust in the system.
The reforms are part of the Ministry’s broader agenda to digitise, decentralise, and modernise passport services, with plans to establish application centres in all sixteen regions of Ghana by the end of 2025.
“This is a testament to what can be achieved through teamwork, technology, and the political will to serve citizens better. We promised Ghanaians a new era of efficiency, and we have delivered,” Mr. Ablakwa said, affirming that the Ministry remains committed to excellence in service delivery while maintaining the credibility of the Ghanaian passport internationally.
