Ghana Card
Ghana Card (National Identity Card)
The Ghana Card is the country's foundational national biometric identity credential, issued by the NIA to citizens and permanent residents. It is a contactless smart card that doubles as an ICAO-compliant e-passport for travel within ECOWAS, serving as the single identifier across banking, SIM registration, tax, health, passport and electoral services.
More than 17 million Ghana Cards reported issued
Functions as the common identifier linking banks, SIM, tax, passport, electoral and health systems, with an e-passport function accepted as a travel document
Privacy and trust
Biometric and personal data are centrally held in the National Identity Register under the NIA, raising data-protection concerns typical of centralized foundational ID systems.
Identity verification providers
Independent identity verification vendors that support documents like this for KYC and onboarding. Exact document coverage varies by provider and region, so confirm support before relying on it.
Ghana Card: frequently asked questions
- Who is eligible for a Ghana Card?
- All Ghanaian citizens resident and abroad, and foreign nationals who are legally and permanently resident in Ghana.
- Can I travel with my Ghana Card instead of a passport?
- It has e-passport features and can be used for travel within ECOWAS and at airports that read it via the ICAO PKD, though each country sets its own entry requirements.