Government issues a 3-month ultimatum for Ghana Card verification compliance

Public institutions and private organisations that use the Ghana Card for identity verification have been granted a three-month transition period to comply with new biometric verification requirements under Legislative Instrument (LI) 2533.

Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, the Minister of the Interior, Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed, announced that institutions have from July 27 to November 2, 2026, to put the necessary systems, infrastructure and staff training in place to meet the new requirements.

"Organisations are accordingly granted a transition period of three months from July 27 to November 2, 2026, within which to establish the necessary protocols to implement LI 2533," the Minister said.

He stressed that the transition period is intended to ensure an orderly implementation of the new law and should not be interpreted as a suspension of its provisions.

"This transition period is granted strictly to allow for orderly implementation and does not suspend or waive any obligation under the policy. Institutions are expected to begin onboarding immediately and to be fully compliant by the end of this period," he added.

Under LI 2533, organisations will no longer be permitted to rely on photocopies, scanned images or visual inspection of the Ghana Card to verify identities.

Instead, they must authenticate individuals through biometric verification against the national identification register or by using National Identification Authority-approved smart card devices.

Muntaka urged banks, telecommunications companies, hospitals, schools, insurance firms, government agencies and other institutions that verify identities to begin or complete their onboarding onto the National Identification Authority's Identity Verification System Platform without delay.

He warned that organisations that fail to comply with the new requirements after the transition period risk sanctions, including penalties and suspension of access to the national identity verification platform.

The Minister said the reforms are aimed at strengthening the integrity of Ghana's national identity system, reducing identity fraud and protecting the personal data of citizens and residents.