Ghana Moves to Biometric Verification of the Ghana Card: What the New Regulations Mean for Your Organisation

Ghana’s National Identity Register (Amendment) Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2523) recently came into force, making biometric verification mandatory for any organisation that confirms identity using the Ghana Card. Visual inspection is no longer sufficient, and the National Identification Authority has confirmed that photocopying, scanning or visually inspecting the card for identity verification is now an offence.

The move builds on the Bank of Ghana’s earlier push for biometric checks across the financial sector and puts Ghana alongside jurisdictions such as India and the EU in prioritising real-time biometric authentication over physical documents.

This Client Alert examines who the regulations affect, the penalties for non-compliance, and the infrastructure, financial and compliance steps regulated businesses should take before the transition window closes on 2 November 2026.

For more information contact TEMPLARS Partner, Sarpong Odame and Associate, Eugenia Amagyei.