Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has disclosed that Ghana Card will be globally recognised as an e-passport by most airports in the world from next year.
According to him, this has been achieved as a result of the acceptance of the usage of the Ghana card as e-passport by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) from the second quarter of 2022.
He pointed out that on Wednesday October 13, 2021, Ghana marked a milestone after the country was officially received as the 79th member of ICAO.
The Vice President stressed that the National Identification Authority (NIA) will be allowed as a source of identification as the e-passport for international travels.
“This means that by the end of the first quarter next year, the Ghana Card will be recognised globally as e-passport,” he stressed, adding: “When this happens, holders of the Ghana Card will be allowed to board any flight to Ghana.”
“Therefore, the good news to diasporan Ghanaians [is that those] who hold the Ghana Card should not have to obtain visas to return to Ghana”, Dr. Bawumia announced this when delivering a public lecture at Ashesi University on Tuesday evening, November 2, 2021.
The addressed: Using digitization to transform an economy – The Ghana story.
The event highlighted how digitalization is transforming the economy and positioning Ghana for the emerging global digital revolution.
By Vincent Kubi