Prosper Okoye
Ghana’s central bank has announced that the Ghana Card is now the only valid identification for most financial transactions in the country. The new rule took effect immediately.
Under the directive, anyone without a Ghana Card, or the relevant Non-Citizen or Refugee ID, will not be allowed to make withdrawals, transfers, or other financial transactions. Existing accounts can still receive deposits, but account holders cannot access the funds until they present a valid card.
Before this change, banks and other financial institutions accepted a variety of IDs, including passports, driver’s licences, voter ID cards, and National Health Insurance cards. These will no longer be valid for most transactions.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelAll banks must now use the National Identification Authority system to verify customers. For digital banking, including mobile apps, a liveness check will also be required to prevent fraud.
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Secondary information, such as phone numbers and addresses, can be updated through NIA records, but corrections to primary data like names and dates of birth must be done in person at the NIA.
Limited exceptions apply. Non-residents staying less than 90 days and Ghanaians living abroad may temporarily use passports for one-off transactions. If a customer’s biometric verification fails, a 90-day period is allowed to correct the record, but accounts will remain non-operational in the meantime.
The Bank of Ghana said the move aims to strengthen identity verification and reduce financial fraud across the country.
