BAWUMIA HAD IT RIGHT – GHANA CARD IS VALID FOR TRAVEL AS AN E-PASSPORT – Gideon Boako PhD

It has been noticed in a recent series of tweets by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in regards to media reports that the Ghanaian ID card is an ePassport. This also comes on the back of claims by the opposition NDC that Vice President Dr Mahammudu Bawimia lied, and that the Ghana Card in its current form is only an identification card that can authenticate the identity of a Ghanaian for purposes of international travels to Ghana and other ECOWAS country and not an E-Passport which is certified by ICAO.

However, ICAO has pointed out that it has no role to certify the use of a state’s identity Card for international travel in place of a passport. And that, Ghana as a sovereign state has the right to decide upon its entry and exit requirements and the documents that need to be presented by those travelling to and/or from its territory.

This has informed the spokesperson to the Vice President, Dr Gideon Boako to issue a statement that aims to refute the propaganda and misinterpretation of the ICAO’s statement by the NDC and also to conspicuously clarify the facts as such.

Just like our current normal booklet passport, you will need ICAO to approve and capture the data into their Public Key Directory (PKD) for certification before any country can accept it as official travel documents. Such key ceremony certification as was done on 9th February in the case of the Ghana card is the ultimate step to take before any national identity card/passport can be used for travelling purposes.

Ghana has crossed this stage with respect to the Ghana card making it officially certified as having the right qualities to be admissible by receiving countries as e-passports subject to country-to-country bilateral agreements. Through the Ghana Civil aw Aviation Authority (GCAA), official communication has gone to all border ports that Ghana as a receiving country is accepting holders of the Ghana card into Ghana. The statement by ICAO that Ghana has crossed the major milestone in efforts to provide for more international acceptance of its biometric electronic travel documents is therefore not inconsistent with official communication from the government.

In practical terms, the holder of a Ghanacard will be allowed to board a flight to Ghana (receiving country) from any airport, just as with the normal biometric passport, without the need for a visa.

Also, Diasporan Ghanaians who hold the Ghanacard will not require a visa to travel to Ghana.

Within ECOWAS the Ghanacard can be used to travel to any country. Travelling outside ECOWAS however, will require that you use your normal biometric passport which will contain your visas.

In the not too distant future, we expect that electronic visas will be issued under ICAO 2.0 protocols. When this starts, electronic visas could be issued on the Ghana card under bilateral arrangements with other countries. “

Dr. Gideon Boako