Government recalls diplomatic and service passport holders

The Government of Ghana through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, has issued a final reminder to individuals still in possession of Diplomatic and Service Passports issued during the previous administration to return them by March 17, 2025. This recall follows an earlier directive from President John Dramani Mahama who initially set 24,January 2025, as the deadline for the return of these passports.

According to the president, the primary objectives of this exercise are to prevent misuse, safeguard the country’s reputation, and maintain the integrity of Ghana’s diplomatic engagements

Dr. Callistus Mahama on January 21st, through the Executive Secretary to the President, issued a letter to the Chief Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, directing the Ministry to take several steps to facilitate the recall process.

The ministry issued a public notice to notify all holders of Diplomatic and Service Passports issued by the previous administration to return these documents to the Ministry for re-issuance, where applicable.

However, many individuals did not comply with the initial deadline, leading to the new extension.

By March 10, 404 Diplomatic Passports and 357 Service Passports remain unreturned. The Ministry has announced that holders of these passports who fail to return them by March 17 will face severe consequences. These holders include;

• Former Ministers and their spouses
• Former Members of Parliament from all political parties
• Former Council of State members and their spouses
• Retired Justices of the Superior and Lower Courts
• Former Regional Ministers, MMDCEs, board chairs and members of state institutions
• Officials of the National Cathedral Project
• Former political ambassadors and their dependents
• Businessmen and entrepreneurs
• Former government functionaries
• Any person holding an official passport but not currently serving the state

Specifically, the passports will be cancelled and placed on a Stop-List for seizure. This means that any individual attempting to travel with these passports after the March 17 deadline will have them seized at Ghana’s entry and exit points.

The recall affects some individuals, including former government officials, businesspeople, and other private individuals who no longer hold qualifying public roles. The Ministry stressed that the recall is necessary to ensure that only those who are rightfully eligible continue to hold and use these official travel documents.

This recall process highlights the government’s commitment to maintaining the integrity and security of official travel documents ensuring that they are used only by those who are rightfully eligible.