the Bank of Ghana (BoG) has directed all licensed financial institutions to accept only the Ghana Card as the valid form of identification for banking and other regulated financial transactions nationwide.
The directive, published on the central bank’s website on January 8, 2026, strengthens customer verification and compliance measures across the sector. 
Under a revised Supervisory Guidance Note — Notice Number BG/GOV/SEC/2025/36 — accountable institutions such as commercial banks, savings and loans companies, and other regulated entities must now verify the identity of customers using the Ghana Card as the primary and, in most cases, sole ID for transactions. 
Retail banking customers wishing to open accounts, access existing accounts, make withdrawals or conduct other transactions are required to present their Ghana Card for verification. Where customers have not updated their accounts with the card, institutions are permitted to accept deposits but will restrict withdrawals and other services until verification is completed. 
The new rules also apply to digital and mobile banking channels, where biometric “liveness checks” are mandated before onboarding and transaction approval, a measure aimed at enhancing security and combating fraud in remote banking services. 
BoG has provided limited exceptions for non-Ghanaians and Ghanaians abroad. For example, non-residents staying less than 90 days and Ghanaians overseas without a Ghana Card may, under specific circumstances, use their passports for certain transactions. 
Regulators say the directive is part of broader efforts to improve Know Your Customer (KYC) and anti-money-laundering frameworks across Ghana’s financial sector and to ensure greater integrity in customer identification processes. 
The implementation of this strengthened requirement is expected to have wide-ranging effects on how individuals and businesses interact with banks and other financial service providers nationwide.