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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it has cleared over 40,000 passport backlogs to end years of delays that inconvenienced many Ghanaians seeking travel documents.
Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Minister for Foreign Affairs, announced the breakthrough during a media briefing in Accra, saying the Ministry had fulfilled its pledge to eliminate bottlenecks in the passport issuance process and restore public confidence in government service delivery.
“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.
He noted that the development was a result of months of intensive work, automation, and dedication from staff of the Passport Office, backed by the Ministry’s sustained passport administration reforms launched earlier in April 2025.
“Our maximum 15-day pledge to all Ghanaians for ordinary applications has been fully implemented,” he added.
Mr Ablakwa said, “Once your documentation is verified and approved, your passport is delivered within 15 days, and under seven days for expedited applications.”
He praised the leadership and staff of the Passport Office for their diligence in clearing the backlog.
“He and his team have worked tirelessly, day and night, to make this happen. Their level of patriotism and commitment to excellence has been inspiring,” the Minister stated.
The clearing of the backlog signals the Ministry’s broader reform agenda aimed at modernising passport services through digitisation, transparency, and decentralisation.
Mr. Ablakwa emphasised that citizens now enjoyed a faster, more transparent application process, supported by an electronic tracking system that allowed applicants to monitor the progress of their applications from approval to delivery.
“You can now see in real time whether your application has been approved, printed, dispatched, or is on its way to you,” he explained, adding that, “We want Ghanaians to experience convenience and accountability, not frustration and uncertainty.”
The Minister noted that the success was also tied to the new courier delivery system, which enables citizens to receive their passports at home through Ghana Post and Shark Express, at no additional cost.
“Applicants no longer have to pay for courier services or queue at offices to collect their passports. The fee covers everything, including delivery. This is part of our vision to make the passport process modern, affordable, and stress-free,” he said.
He said that the reforms had been implemented without the involvement of middlemen or so-called “Goro Boys”, a phenomenon that previously undermined public trust in passport administration.
“We have successfully ended the era when Goro Boys determined who got passports and when. That illegal enterprise is now extinct, and we will not allow any attempt to resurrect it,” he warned.
The Minister reaffirmed that the Ministry was on course to establish passport application centres in all sixteen regions of Ghana by the end of 2025.
This, he said, would ensure that no Ghanaian would have to travel long distances for passport services.
The clearance of the backlog also supports the broader goal of maintaining the credibility and value of the Ghanaian passport internationally, especially as the country expands its network of visa waiver agreements with partner states.
Mr. Ablakwa described the success as “a testament to what can be achieved through teamwork, technology, and the political will to serve citizens better.”
He further assured that, “We promised Ghanaians a new era of efficiency, and we have delivered. This is just the beginning. We are working every day to make Ghana’s passport system a model for Africa.”
The Minister reaffirmed that the Ministry would not relent in pursuing excellence in service delivery.