Government has commissioned a new Premium Passport Application Center for Ghanaians who want to acquire their passports in a shorter time at an additional charge of Ghc 50.
The new center which is located at the Accra Digital Center will enable applicants go through the registration process within 30 minutes.
The move is a collaboration between government and international company, VFS Global, to address the cumbersome processes which have characterized passport applications in Ghana.
Foreign Affairs Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey said similar facilities will be established in other parts of the country to make passport acquisition more convenient.
Foreign Affairs Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey
“The Ministry is still committed that additional passport offices are established in each region to ensure that each Ghanaian has easy access to apply for their passport in every regional capital in Ghana without necessarily travelling outside their respective regions. It is against this backdrop that the ministry through the approval of cabinet has engaged the services of VFS Ghana Limited a specialized business process outsourcing agency to provide front offices for receiving online passport application. This is aimed at providing the Ghanaian public the option of improving with respect to online passport application in a seamless convenient manner.â€
Madam Ayorkor Botchwey also outlined the process by which Ghanaians who want to use the premium services will have to undergo.
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“Passport applicants who want to use this service, will go through the vetting and do their passport applications as usual. They will fill the form online, be vetted and then be given an appointment date. Afterwards, all their data will be captured and then they will make payment of Ghc50 and Ghc100 for standard and the premium services respectivelyâ€.
“It is just another passport office just like the one we have at the old ministry of foreign affairs office. Everything will be done so it goes through the superior vetting at the regional office and then the passport booklet are issued. So, it is the same process we have at our passport offices. This is to give Ghanaians many more options to acquire their passportsâ€, she added.
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