Ghana Tightens ID Card Checks: Photocopies Banned, Biometric Scanners Mandatory
In a decisive move to combat identity fraud, Ghana’s National Identification Authority (NIA) has mandated that all businesses and public institutions can no longer rely on simple visual checks or photocopies of the Ghana Card. Instead, digital biometric verification via a mobile‑phone app will become compulsory.
The Ghana Card is a plastic, biometric-enabled identity document that carries fingerprints, iris scans, a photograph, and a signature. It is the key to accessing many everyday services – banking, mobile SIM registration, passports and driving licences. With the new rule, any organisation that keeps a photocopy or merely crosses the card’s surface for validation will face fines of up to 24,000 Ghanaian cedis (about $2,100) or even prosecution.
"It is now an offence to photocopy or visually inspect a Ghana Card for the purpose of a transaction. Biometric verification is now mandatory," declared the NIA chief, Wisdom Yayra Koku Deku.
Individuals are also subject to penalties: fines of up to 6,000 cedis (roughly $525) are imposed for using copies. Organisations not yet connected to the NIA digital platform have been urged to migrate immediately.
The NIA will release a public brief detailing implementation steps and enforcement measures in the coming days. For now, the focus is on bridging any gaps in the digital ID infrastructure and educating stakeholders on the new compliance requirements.
For further details on the new regulations and how they impact businesses across Ghana, visit the National Identification Authority’s official website or contact their customer service.
