A lost Ghana Card is replaced by the NIA, at one of its offices, in person. There is no online replacement. You need a police report, the fee, and your fingers: the new card is printed from the biometrics you gave when you first registered.
Your number does not change. The card is a printout of your record, and the record is still there.
First, the same day
- Report it at a police station. Any station will do, ideally the one nearest where you lost it. Ask for a written report of the loss. Without it the NIA will not start.
- Tell your bank and your network if the card was stolen with your phone or wallet. A Ghana Card and a phone together are what a SIM swap needs. — SIM swap fraud
- Find your number. A photo of the card, the registration slip, a bank statement or your SSNIT statement will all have it. Write it down; you will be asked for it at every counter until the new card arrives. — Finding your Ghana Card number
Nobody needs to collect your card to help you
Agents who offer to “process” a replacement for a fee, or who ask you to hand over your details so they can do it for you, are not part of the NIA’s process. The replacement needs you in person, because it needs your fingerprints.
What to bring
| Your situation | Bring |
|---|---|
| Lost or stolen | The original police report. A photocopy is refused |
| Damaged, cracked or defaced | The damaged card and a police extract |
| Faded, or the chip no longer reads | The card. Ask at the office whether it counts as damaged or as a renewal |
What it costs
The fees are set by the NIA and were last changed on 2 February 2026:
| Service | NIA district office | Premium centre |
|---|---|---|
| Replacing a lost, stolen or damaged card | ₵200 | ₵520 |
| Renewing an expired card | ₵150 | |
| Changing your details with a new card | ₵200 |
A premium centre is optional. It is quicker, and the work is the same.
A non-citizen card is replaced for the cedi equivalent of $78.
You pay after the request is approved, not before: at a CalBank branch, on the CalBank app, by dialling *771#, or through another payment platform the office names. Keep the payment receipt. The serial number and PIN on it are what the officer enters to release your card.
At the office
The NIA’s own description of the process has six steps:
- A registration officer reads your police report, or your extract and the damaged card.
- The officer fills in an electronic request with you, and you sign or thumbprint it.
- An approval officer reviews the request. If it is refused, you are told why.
- You pay. A damaged card is taken from you at this point.
- The officer records the payment’s serial number and PIN, and takes your fingerprints and signature again to confirm it is you.
- The new card is printed and handed over.
Replacements are done at NIA regional and district offices. Not every district office prints cards every day, so call before you go, and go early. — Where to register for a Ghana Card
While you wait
Your number still works without the card. Most banks, networks and offices will accept the number with your police report and another photo ID, such as a passport or a driving licence. Ask before you assume they will not.
If you need to travel abroad in the meantime, a passport is a travel document and a Ghana Card is not, outside ECOWAS. — Getting a passport
If you find someone else’s card
Hand it in at a police station or an NIA office. Do not post a photo of it online, even to find its owner: the number and face on it are everything a fraudster needs. Lost and found on this site refuses long numbers for the same reason. — Lost and found
Losing other documents at the same time
A wallet usually holds more than one card. The police report can list everything that was in it, which saves a second trip.