Ghana's National Identification Authority (NIA) has suspended all changes to dates of birth recorded on the Ghana Card, in a nationwide freeze that took effect on Monday, 9 November 2026.

The authority said no new applications for date of birth corrections would be accepted or processed at any of its offices across the country while the suspension lasts. Applications already under consideration will also not be approved during the freeze, so anyone with a correction pending will have to wait until the process resumes.

The decision follows an internal review of the date of birth amendment process. The NIA said the review showed that stronger safeguards were needed to protect the integrity of personal information held in the national identity system.

New guidelines being drawn up

To draw up revised rules, the authority is consulting the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the Births and Deaths Registry and other relevant institutions. The consultations are intended to produce a transparent, credible and standardised process for handling date of birth change requests.

The notice was signed by Williams Ampomah Emmanuel Darlas, the NIA's Head of Corporate Affairs. It said the public would be told when the consultations had finished and the revised guidelines were ready.

The authority apologised for the disruption and appealed for the public's patience and cooperation while the review is under way. It gave no date for the service to resume, saying only that the suspension would remain in force until further notice.

What it means for cardholders

For most Ghana Card holders, nothing changes. The freeze affects only people who need to correct the date of birth shown on their card. Those with a correct date of birth on their card can carry on using it as normal.

People who were planning to start a correction cannot submit a new request for now, and those whose requests were already being processed will receive neither an approval nor a rejection while the freeze lasts. The authority has not said that anyone needs to reapply, and cardholders should keep their supporting documents ready for when the revised process is announced.

The date of birth is one of the key details on the Ghana Card, which is used as proof of identity for banking, SIM registration, voting and access to public services. That is why the authority says it wants tighter controls before it resumes approving changes.

The NIA said it would communicate further updates once the consultations are complete and the new guidelines are ready for use.