Questions and answers
The questions people ask most about the Ghana Card: who can register, what to bring, what it costs, and what to do when details change.
The Ghana Card
What is the Ghana Card?
The national identity card. The authority issues it to Ghanaian citizens in Ghana and abroad, and to foreign nationals who live in Ghana legally and permanently.
Why should I register?
The card is required wherever you must prove who you are: opening a bank account, registering land, applying for a driver's licence or a passport. Without one you can be shut out of those.
Is it the same as a passport?
No, but it has the features of an e-passport. It can be used for travel where no immigration stamp is needed, and Ghanaians living abroad can enter Ghana with it without a visa.
Does the card expire?
Yes, ten years after it is issued. The card itself is made to last that long, and your photograph should be renewed by then.
I registered between 2008 and 2018. Do I register again?
Yes. Registering again brings your details in the register up to date, and you receive a new card.
I registered in the mass exercise and never received a card. Do I register again?
No. Give your details at a registration office or a Ghana Mission and they will find your record and print the card. Registering twice is an offence.
Who can register and what to bring
Who can register?
Ghanaian citizens of any age living in Ghana, Ghanaian citizens of any age living abroad, and foreign nationals who live in Ghana legally and permanently.
What documents do I need?
One of: a birth certificate from the Births and Deaths Registry, a valid Ghana passport, a certificate of acquired citizenship, or an Oath of Identity form from the vouching process. Bring any other government cards you hold, so your records can be linked.
What if I have none of those documents?
A relative aged 18 or over who holds a Ghana Card can vouch for you. Without a relative, two cardholders aged 18 or over can vouch for you before a Commissioner for Oaths.
Can I register with a passport that has just expired?
No. The passport must be valid.
Can I register for someone else?
No. Every applicant must come in person.
Do I need a digital address?
Yes, if you live in Ghana. Ghanaians abroad give the address of their home and its post code or zip code.
How long does it take to get the card?
If you are 15 or over it is printed and given to you on the day, where there is power and a network connection. Where there is not, the officer tells you when and where to collect it.
I was born in Ghana to parents who are not Ghanaian. Am I Ghanaian?
Not by birth in Ghana alone. A registration officer will interview you and apply the citizenship laws to decide.
Fees
How much is a Ghana Card?
A first card is free at a district office if you are under 25, and GH₵30 if you are 25 or over. A Premium Centre charges GH₵410. Ghanaians abroad pay the cedi equivalent of US$55, US$75 or US$115, depending on where they live.
How much is an update or a replacement?
A replacement is GH₵200 at a district office. Updating your record is free there unless a new card is needed, which is GH₵200. The full list is on the fees page.
Why do I pay to correct a mistake that was not mine?
You are shown your details before the card is printed and you sign to confirm them. It is the applicant's responsibility to check them at that point, so a correction afterwards is charged for.
Access
Are Ghanaians abroad registered?
Yes. The law covers every Ghanaian wherever they live. Registration takes place at Ghana Missions, and Ghanaians visiting Ghana can register here.
How are people with disabilities registered?
Registration officers assist, and applicants may bring a relative or friend to help. Disability status is recorded during registration.
How are babies registered when their fingerprints are not formed?
Children under six have their number linked to a parent's Ghana Card. When they turn six, their fingerprints and other biometrics are taken at an NIA office.
Security and your data
How safe is my information?
The register is kept in a secure environment, and the law protects the privacy of the people in it.
Who can see my data?
Only organisations the law allows, and only after they meet the authority's rules for handling it. A breach is an offence.
How is registering twice prevented?
Your fingerprints are compared with every set in the register whenever you register, update or replace a card. A second registration is found at once.
Is it an offence not to register?
No. But without a card you may be shut out of services that require one.
How do I tell a non-citizen card from a citizen's?
A non-citizen card has NON-CITIZEN IDENTITY CARD printed in red on the front.
What happens to someone who gives false information?
It is an offence. Offenders are investigated, arrested and prosecuted.
Updates and replacements
What do I do when my details change?
Tell the authority within 30 days, at a registration office or a Ghana Mission. Not doing so is an offence.
Do I need proof for an update?
Yes, wherever proof exists. Some details, such as a phone number, email address or next of kin, need none.
Can I change my date of birth?
No. It can be corrected only if the officer entered a date different from the one on your document or application form.
Why is a marriage certificate not accepted for a change of name?
Marriage does not change a name by itself. To take a spouse's name, the change must be gazetted.
Is an affidavit accepted for a change of name or date of birth?
No. An affidavit is your own statement. The change must be gazetted.
What do I do if my card is lost, stolen or damaged?
Report it to the police and get a police extract. Then visit a registration office or a Ghana Mission, and pay the replacement fee.
Is a photocopy of the police extract accepted?
No. Bring the original. It is scanned and given back to you.
Can every update be done on the same day?
No. You are told when a decision has been made.
Using the card
Will the Ghana Card replace other ID cards?
It has room on its chip for the data other cards hold. Whether another card is replaced is for the organisation that issues it to decide.
Can I travel in ECOWAS with it?
Yes, once countries in the region operate e-gates at their borders.
An organisation refuses to accept my Ghana Card. What do I do?
Report it to the authority. Refusing the card as identification is against the law.
These 37 answers are shortened from the 70 on the authority's site. Read them all on nia.gov.gh, or ask the authority.