Author: Shepherd Yaw Morttey

A Biometric Birth Certificate is the singularly most important document you need to apply for a Ghanaian Passport; online or offline. Without the birth certificate, you can’t apply for the passport.

For a lot of people who have read our extensive guide on how to get a Ghanaian Biometric Passport in 15 days, the next question that comes up is always: “How do I get a Ghanaian Birth Certificate?”.

Well, as usual, Mfidie.com brings to you steps to take to get a Birth Certificate here in Ghana.

What is a Birth Certificate?

According to American Bar, a certified birth certificate is an official government-issued record of a person’s birth, printed on security paper and includes an official raised, embossed, impressed or multicoloured seal.

Here in Ghana, the Births and Deaths Registry was established by the Act 301 of 1965, within the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, to handle and develop the births and deaths registration system in Ghana. However, the Registration of Births and Deaths Act of 1965, (Act 301) is the legislation currently in force in the country.

What documents you need to apply for a Biometric Birth Certificate in Ghana

As with any other application online, there is the need to verify your identity and to be sure you are actually the person applying.

In order to do these, you will have to scan some documents and upload them somewhere in the process. These documents are:

• Your Baptismal Certificate
• Clinical Weighing/Notification of birth card
• Old Birth Certificate
• An affidavit from one of the parents (only minors – those below 18 years)

Step by Step Procedure to apply for a Ghanaian Birth Certificate

1. Visit the E-Services Ghana website at eservices.gov.gh
2. On the top-left side of the eServices Page Click on BDR – Apply for Birth Certificate.
3. On the next page, Read the option that says new users must register to have full access to the portal online services using the Register link. Click the Register link
4. On the next page, you will be met with a form. It contains questions that you will need to fill. Fill the form as accurately as possible. Some of the required fields on the form are:
   • First Names
   • Last Names
   • Gender
   • Age Group
   • Country of Residence
   • City
   • Mobile Number
   • Education
   • Occupation
   • Primary Email Address
5. Once you have successfully completed the registration, a confirmation will be sent to the email address. For this reason, it is always advisable you use an address that you have access to
6. Click on the confirmation link in the email to confirm your eServices Registration
7. Next, visit eServices website again and click on Apply for Birth Certificate or BDR tab.
8. Read Instructions Carefully and Select New Applicant to begin.
9. Carefully fill the forms and Upload Required files you have already scanned.
10. Payment options will be made available to you before the entire process can be completed. Use myghpay by GT Bank to make payment on the e-payment platform.

Price of Birth Certificate in Ghana (Online Application)

It costs GHS 50 to apply for the Ghanaian Biometric Birth Certificate online. If you are applying at your local birth and death registry, the price still remains GHS 50.

You can use the directions to the birth and death registry in Accra.

Sample Ghana Biometric Birth Certificate

Your birth certificate will be ready for collection after 14 working days.

If you have any questions, kindly leave them in the comments section below.

Don’t fall victim to fraudsters. For the manual process, visit your local district office.

Frequently Asked Questions about Biometric Birth Certificate Application in Ghana

I woke up yesterday to multiple messages in my WhatsApp Groups about jobs at an Election Comittee.

I opened the link and immediately knew it was a lie, a scam, a phishing attempt to collect information about people.

Simply put, there is no such election job opportunity out there and the malicious link that was put out is simply aimed at stealing the data of the individuals who fill it.

How the 50000 election job scam works

A lot of individuals would think – well, it is harmless to fill this form. It’s a try your luck kind of thing.

The job scam works by first collecting your data, then encouraging you to share the link over WhatsApp to your friends.

There is a little bit of using your social currency to gain traction for their scam.

They way users are tricked to share over WhatsApp is that, much like most scams of this nature, the website will say you can only complete the process by sharing.

Most individuals would therefore go ahead and share – trapping their own family and friends.

When people submit their data to the scammers, the scammers can use them to apply for benefits, which the real users might not even be aware of.

Some scammers even use this data to fill petitions supporting some ideas and campaigns the real users might not even be interested in.

How to protect yourself for scams of this nature

There is no free lunch – sadly.

If you see an opportunity online asking you to complete mostly very “easy” tasks in return for money, scrutinise it.

Also, be careful of what push notifications you accept via your browser. Always, when giving out your personal information online, make sure it is to a trusted website.

And if it has something to do with a Government agency – like elections, verify from the agency or organisation website or official social media platform first.

Conclusion

Hope this helps anyone who is looking for information as to whether the 50,000 election jobs ad they saw was true. Well, you have your answer – It is a scam perpetrated by individuals interested in stealing your personal data.

Share with your family and friends and all those groups where this fake job link has been posted at. If you are in Ghana, you can look our for genuine job sites where you can apply for positions online.

All the best, and thank you for reading.

The Electoral Commission of Ghana has made it possible for all individuals who want to verify their voter’s ID to do so electronically, ahead of the December 2020 polls.

This will run alongside the offline checking of Voter’s ID details which is scheduled to end on Friday 25 September, 2020.

It is not yet known if the electronic means (SMS) will continue to run once the offline process comes to an end.

Earlier on, the Electoral Commission had rolled out a digital queue management system for the Voter Registration exercise.

How to check your Voter ID number and details in Ghana

You can use the SMS method to check and verify your Voter’s ID details in Ghana by following the steps below:

1. Go to compose new SMS on your phone
2. Go to receiver and enter 1422
3. Type your full Voter Registration Number in the message section (Don’t add anything else)
4. Click on send to send the ID to 1422
5. Wait for a confirmation with your Voter’s ID Details
6. Once the details match what is on your ID card, you are good to go

Conclusion

The cost of checking is GHS 0.30 per SMS sent. Therefore, don’t send the same ID more than once, as you will be charged multiple times.

If you find out your details are wrong, you’ll have to visit your polling centre and follow the procedure to have it resolved.

Some people have also complained that they are unable to access the service via their phones. In this case, asking a friend who has successfully check to check on your behalf works.