Biometric verification has become the mandatory method for confirming the identity of Ghana Card holders in all transactions requiring identification, following the enforcement of the National Identity Register (Amendment) Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2523).
Executive Director of the National Identification Authority (NIA), Yayra Koku Deku, said the new regulation replaces the previous reliance on physical presentation, visual inspection or photocopies of the Ghana Card for identity verification.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Mr Deku explained that the amendment was introduced after stakeholders identified weaknesses in the earlier National Identity Register Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2111).
“One of the deficiencies in our L.I. 2111 passed in 2012 was that in all transactions where identification is required, the Ghana Card would be used. It further stated that you would present the Ghana Card and when in doubt, biometric verification would be used,” he said.
According to him, the NIA and relevant stakeholders reviewed the provision and concluded that biometric verification should no longer be optional but should become the primary means of authentication.
“So we sat down and realised that that part of the regulation was deficient. We had relevant stakeholder engagement: the board, the ministry, and the parliamentary committee, and it was laid in Parliament, matured in 21 days, and was passed into law,” he stated.
Mr Deku explained that under the new regulation, every transaction requiring the Ghana Card for identification must now be completed through biometric verification using systems approved by the NIA.
“The biometrics are what make all of us distinct. You identify, authenticate, and verify,” he said.
He added that verification will be carried out through the NIA’s Identity Verification System Platform (IVSP), either through an Application Programming Interface (API) or approved biometric devices.
“Every transaction that requires identification with the Ghana Card is by biometric verification, either by API (Application Programming Interface),” he noted.
The NIA Executive Director stressed that institutions and individuals can no longer rely on photocopies or scanned images of the Ghana Card as proof of identity.
“Now, you can’t even photocopy Ghana Card, not just institutions but individuals,” he warned.
The National Identity Register (Amendment) Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2523), which came into force on June 9, 2026, prohibits organisations from requesting, retaining or reproducing copies of the Ghana Card for identification purposes.
The regulation applies to institutions such as banks, telecommunications companies, hospitals, educational institutions, government agencies and other service providers that require identity verification.
Institutions that fail to comply risk sanctions, including financial penalties and possible suspension or termination of access to the NIA Identity Verification System Platform.
Mr Deku said the NIA has introduced a transition period from July 27 to November 2, 2026, to allow organisations to upgrade their systems, integrate with the verification platform and train staff.
He, however, urged institutions and citizens to begin complying immediately and encouraged Ghanaians to insist on biometric verification whenever their Ghana Card is required for identification.
“The biometrics are the security behind the Ghana Card. It is what ensures that the person presenting the card is actually the person whose identity is attached to it,” he added.
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