“The blue verified badge is an important way for you to know that the account you are interacting with is the authentic presence of a notable public figure, celebrity, global brand or entity. Today we are enabling a new way for accounts that reach large audiences and meet our criteria to request verification through a form within the Instagram app.

To be verified, an account must comply with Instagram’s Terms of Service and Community Guidelines. We will review verification requests to confirm the authenticity, uniqueness, completeness and notability of each account,” Instagram co-founder Mike Krieger said in a blog post.

This means, even Ghanaian celebrities or public figures whose Instagram accounts/pages apply with its terms can request for the blue verified badge.

There are dozens of Ghanaian celebrities, public figures and content creators with a massive following on the photo-sharing platform but do not have the blue verified badge attached to their names. Without the blue verified badge, celebrity accounts don’t look authentic.

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So how can they request for the blue verified badge?

The request is very simple, and this is by using the verification request form in the Instagram app.

Please note that the verification request form is a new feature added to the app. This means you have to update your app to the latest version to be able to access it. Also, it’s only available on the iOS platform. It will be available on Android soon.

Find request form and fill

Go to settings on your app and search for ‘Request Verification’. You will be asked to provide your username, legal name and an identity card.

Just take a photo or screenshot of either your Voter ID card, national ID card, driver’s license or passport.

I would advise you to use a passport since it's internationally recognised than local ID cards.

Hold on for confirmation

Wait for a few more days to receive the blue badge on your account. You can also check the email linked to your account for confirmation. If your application is bounced, you can reapply after 30 days.