Ghana moves from its current biometric passport system to passport embedded system with chips.

Leo Digital News April 28, 2025

Ghana has distinguished itself as the first nation in Africa to officially introduce passports embedded with chips.

Launched on April 28, 2025, these new passports boast advanced biometric features and are intended to gradually supplant the current biometric passports, which will remain valid until 2030.

The new passports incorporate enhanced security measures, including biometric data such as fingerprints and facial recognition stored on an electronic microchip, alongside 175 security features utilizing nanotechnology and advanced encryption to safeguard against identity theft and fraud.

Furthermore, they comply with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards, ensuring global recognition.

The Ghanaian government has implemented the chip-embedded passport to bolster national security, streamline international travel and verification processes, and support the country’s digital transformation agenda for improved public service delivery.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working to expedite the application process to an average of 15 days while eliminating intermediaries, and has also reduced application fees by 30%.

The transition to the new chip-embedded passports will occur gradually, replacing the existing biometric passports.