Only Ghana Card can be used for bank transaction - Government

The Bank of Ghana has issued a revised and a strict Supervisory Guidance Note, which makes the Ghana Card as a mandatory identification document for all banking transactions.

The directive, which was issued in the last quarter of 2025 takes effect immediately, and now makes the Ghana Card a compulsory means of identification for for customers in all accountable institutions.

The Central Bank published the notice on its website on January 8, 2026, and it replaces a 2022 guidelines with rigorous new verification procedures for both new and existing customers.

According to the notice, Notice Number BG/GOV/SEC/2025/36, the guideline is designed to enforce 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 clearly stated.

In a bid to strengthen identities of individuals linked to financial accounts and banking transactions in Ghana, the new guidelines has also made the Ghana Card a key requirement for "Foreign Directors/Shareholders and Non-Residents who are signatories to accounts during onboarding."

In line with the guidelines all accounting institutions are required to update their customer data with information from the National Identity Authority (NIA), as customers without the Ghana Card, Non-Citizens Identity Card and Refugees Identity Card are not allowed to transact any business with the financial institutions.

However, for foreign non-residents in Ghana for less than 90 days, the guidelines make an exception for them to use their valid international passport, visa information and date of entry to be able to access remittances.

The Ghanacard has become the primary source of identification in Ghana, as it has been integrated into the nation's telecommunication and and financial systems.

It is also the primary source of identification to access a number of public services.