Passport fees go up by over 400%

Effective today, the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Ghana has increased the fees for passport applications. The cost for a 32-page booklet is now GH¢500, and for a 48-page booklet, it is GH¢644 for standard service. Expedited service will cost GH¢700 for a 32-page booklet and GH¢800 for a 48-page booklet.

Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey proposed the fee adjustment to Parliament’s Committee on Subsidiary Legislation in December to help the ministry reduce losses in passport booklet printing.

The Minister stated that it is necessary for Ghanaians to pay realistic prices for passports starting in the new year due to financial constraints in the economy. She mentioned that producing a passport costs GH¢400, yet applicants only pay GH¢100, causing the government to subsidize GH¢300 for each passport, which is unsustainable.

There were no objections raised in Parliament to the fee increase, and it became law after 21 days as a Regulation. The 2024 budget estimates report by the Committee on Foreign Affairs shows that Ghana’s passport fees are the lowest in the West African sub-region at $7.7. Comparatively, other countries in the region charge significantly higher fees for passport services.