Former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo holding his Ghana Card
The Bank of Ghana has issued a revised and stricter Supervisory Guidance Note, making the Ghana Card the mandatory identification document for all banking transactions.
The directive, issued in the last quarter of 2025, takes immediate effect and makes the Ghana Card the compulsory means of identification for customers of all accountable institutions.
The Central Bank published the notice on its website on January 8, 2026, replacing the 2022 guidelines with more rigorous verification procedures for both new and existing customers.
According to the notice, numbered BG/GOV/SEC/2025/36, the revised guideline is aimed at enforcing strict compliance with Know Your Customer (KYC) and Customer Due Diligence (CDD) requirements.
“Accountable Institutions (AIs) shall use only the Ghana Card to identify and verify all customers,” the notice stated.
As part of efforts to strengthen the identification of individuals linked to financial accounts and banking transactions, the new guidelines also make the Ghana Card a key requirement for foreign directors, shareholders, and non-residents who are signatories to accounts during onboarding.
In line with the directive, all accountable institutions are required to update customer data using information from the National Identification Authority (NIA). Customers without a Ghana Card, Non-Citizens Identity Card, or Refugee Identity Card will not be permitted to conduct any transactions with financial institutions.
However, the guidelines provide an exception for foreign non-residents who have been in Ghana for less than 90 days. Such persons may use a valid international passport, visa information, and date of entry to access remittance services.
The Ghana Card has increasingly become the primary source of identification in the country, having been integrated into Ghana’s telecommunications and financial systems.
It is also the main identification document required to access a wide range of public services nationwide.
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