The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has in a series of tweets affirmed 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.” Thus, making Ghana’s decision to allow citizens holding its national identity card called the Ghanacard eligible to use the card as an e-passport to travel to Ghana and within the ECOWAS sub-region.
This clearly defeats the propaganda being put out by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) that the organisation has denied ever certifying the Ghana Card to be used as E-passport.
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 9 February in the case of the Ghanacard 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 Ghanacard making it officially certified as having the right qualities to be admissible by receiving countries as e-passport subject to country-to-country bilateral agreements. Through the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), official communication has gone to all border ports that Ghana as a receiving country is accepting holders of the Ghanacard into Ghana. The statement by ICAO that Ghana has crossed the major millstone in efforts to provide for more international acceptance of its biometric electronic travel documents is therefore not inconsistent with official communication from 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.
ICAO is aware of recent and incorrect media reports claiming that ICAO has agreed that the Ghanaian ID card is equivalent to an ePassport. However, it is not ICAO’s role to certify the use of a State’s Identity Card for international travel in place of a passport.
— ICAO (@icao) February 11, 2022
Also, Diasporan Ghanaians who hold the Ghanacard will not require a visa to travel to Ghana.
It is the sovereign right of each individual State 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.
— ICAO (@icao) February 11, 2022
Within ECOWAS the Ghanacard can be used to travel to any country. Traveling outside ECOWAS however, will require that you use your normal biometric passport which will contain your visas.
A number of States worldwide accept specified national ID cards as identity documents during air travel based on bilateral agreement between issuing and receiving states. *Any* decision to accept such alternative travel identity documents is made by the receiving state itself.
— ICAO (@icao) February 11, 2022
Ghana’s successful conclusion of its key ceremony on 9 February is a major milestone in its efforts to provide for more international acceptance of its electronic travel documents.
— ICAO (@icao) February 11, 2022
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 Ghanacard under bilateral arrangements with other countries. “
Gideon Boako, Ph.D
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