Ghana's National Identification Authority (NIA) has suspended all date of birth changes on the Ghana Card nationwide, with immediate effect from Monday, 9 November 2026.

The suspension will remain in force until further notice while the Authority reviews the process and introduces stronger safeguards. No new applications for date of birth changes will be accepted or processed at any NIA office during the suspension, and applications already under consideration will not be approved in the meantime.

Why the service has been paused

In a statement issued on Monday, the Authority said a review of its date of birth update process had revealed the need for stronger controls to protect the credibility of changes made to the national identity card.

The NIA said it was engaging the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the Births and Deaths Registry and other relevant institutions to develop revised guidelines for handling such requests. The consultations are intended to produce a transparent, credible and standardised process for date of birth amendments.

The notice was signed by Williams Ampomah Emmanuel Darlas, Head of the NIA's Corporate Affairs Directorate.

What cardholders should do

Ghanaians who need to correct an error in the date of birth shown on their Ghana Card will have to wait until the review is complete. The Authority said it would notify the public once consultations had finished and the revised guidelines were ready.

People with a correction already pending do not need to reapply for now, and no decision will be taken on their request while the freeze lasts. Anyone planning to start a correction cannot submit a new request until the service resumes.

Cardholders whose Ghana Card already shows the correct date of birth are not affected. The card remains valid for its usual purposes, and no other NIA service has been suspended under the directive.

A card at the centre of daily life

The Ghana Card is the national identity card issued by the NIA to Ghanaian citizens and legally resident foreign nationals. It serves as proof of identity, citizenship and residence, and is widely used for banking, SIM registration, voting and access to public services.

Because the date of birth on the card is used to verify age for passports, pensions, school enrolment and employment, errors in that field can have serious consequences, and the Authority says the tighter process is intended to prevent fraudulent changes.

The NIA has not given a date for the resumption of the service. Applicants have been advised to watch official NIA channels for the next announcement.