The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, on February 9, 2023, posted on his Facebook page that passengers travelling to Ghana would no longer be required to fill out landing forms. Find the post here.
In a similar post, a viral tweet by @richie_alone on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, stated that passengers travelling to Ghana would no longer be required to fill out landing forms. The tweet says this will start on March 31, 2023. The tweet ended with applause for Dr Mahamudu Bawumia for championing this initiative.
As of Tuesday, April 19, 2023, Twitter data has shown that the post by @richie_alone has been viewed 188,300 times and retweeted 240 times with 817 likes.
Comments under the post suggested users welcomed the idea if only it were true. Others recounted the frustrating moments they had to endure filling those forms, as can be seen here, here, here, here and here.
Considering the importance of air travel to the economy, DUBAWA sought to verify if the immigration document has been done away with and what it meant to travellers if it has. The researcher will also explain the new immigration process compared to the old.
What is landing card?
The embarkation/disembarkation form, popularly called the landing card, is a prerequisite for leaving and entering Ghana. It is to be completed by citizens and non-citizens who enter or leave Ghana. An immigration officer grants permission to enter or exit after reviewing a passenger’s eligibility.
What are the relevant authorities saying?
DUBAWA searched for press releases, newsletters, or updates on the websites of Ghana Airport Company Limited, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, Ministry of Interior, National Security, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. None of the state and organisational websites had updates on the landing forms.
The researcher then contacted the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority on Wednesday, March 1, 2023, to find out if a decision had been taken to stop using the forms at the airport. The PRO, Eric Amaning, stated that plans are in place to replace disembarkation forms with electronic verification means.
“The implementation would begin with a test run on March 21, 2023, with the full implementation taking place from 31st March 2023,” he said.
Other stakeholders declined to comment on the implementation.
Our visit to the Kotoka International Airport
DUBAWA also visited the departure hall of Terminal 3 at the Kotoka International Airport on April 13, 2023. We observed no immigration cards at the various stands where one could previously find them.
DUBAWA spoke with some travellers at the arrival hall at the Terminal 3 at KIA to ascertain whether the immigration cards had been scrapped.
“Upon arrival there was an announcement through the airport PA system that we do not need to fill any immigration card now. At the immigration booth, the officer scanned my passport biodata. He went ahead to take my fingerprints,” Nana Yaw, a traveller, told the researcher.
“I have a Ghanaian passport, so they just scanned my passport and took my fingerprints,” Ayisha Salami said. She added that for her children, who possessed British passports, she had to provide addresses of where they live in the UK and where they will reside in Ghana.
“But we did not fill any forms. We provided all those details at the immigration booth,” she said.
How the new system works
The new process is known as Tranzyt. Passengers exiting or entering Ghana are required to fill out immigration details via an electronic/digital platform. Details of their trip to or out of Ghana are submitted. This generates a QR code which passengers will present to immigration officers at the border. The immigration officers will then confirm the validity of the details presented. The Tranzyt platform is linked to other similar platforms like PanaBIOS. Passengers can log in with their PanaBIOS account to enjoy a smooth travel experience.
The Difference
Passengers are still required to give details of the trips in and out of Ghana. For now, Immigration officers will ask travellers for the details at the various immigration booths. According to a public notice issued by the Ghana Immigration Service, the details that will be provided are similar to those on the immigration cards that were filled manually. Passengers can fill out these forms from the comfort of their homes via the Tranzyt digital platform.
Conclusion
According to investigations and observations, DUBAWA can confirm that the disembarkation and embarkation cards/landing cards have been scrapped. Travellers do not have to worry about the hustle it comes with anymore.
