Passport application forms are now free, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has announced.

Effective today, passport applicants will have to download a PDF format of the passport application form from the Ministry’s website, it said.

However, it said the 50 cedis and 100 cedis processing fee for regular and express services remain unchanged.

A statement issued Thursday evening to address some of the concerns of the public regarding passport acquisition in the country said payment of the processing fees will no longer be done at the bank.

“Payment can only be made by mobile money (MTN, Vodafone) and Visa or MasterCard,” it indicated.

The new system, the Ministry explained, does not replace the already existing online Passport Application System at the Accra Passport Application Centres.

On the issue of shortage of passport booklets, it said the Ministry it is currently assisting the Passport Office to adopt a number of steps including improvements in procurement, and that “hopefully, shortage of booklets should be a thing of the past”.

According to the ministry, a significant number of completed passports remain uncollected for months and years now.

Effective Monday November 5, 2018, all applicants who applied before September 15, 2018 and have not collected their passports can visit www.mfa.gov.gh to check the list of uncollected passports and to make plans to claim them from the various Passport application centres.

“The Ministry is also appealing to Ghanaians to endeavour to apply for a Passport when they have need for it,” it said.

These measures, it said, would restore confidence and help ease the process of passport acquisition in the country.