DVLA Clarifies: No Domestic Staff Stationed Abroad for Licensing Services | Discuss Ghana

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has officially clarified that it will not be posting its domestic staff to live or work permanently in foreign missions.

The clarification follows a statement by the DVLA Chief Executive, Julius Neequaye Kotey, on February 25, 2026, which initially suggested that staff would be "traveling and stationed" in five countries to provide licensing services. Following public backlash and concerns over the cost of stationing government workers abroad, the Authority issued a corrective statement on February 26, 2026, to explain the actual implementation model.

Julius Neequaye Kotey

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The "Embassy Training" Model

Rather than exporting its own personnel, the DVLA will utilize existing diplomatic infrastructure to serve the diaspora.

• Trained Embassy Personnel: DVLA will provide specialized training to existing Ghanaian Embassy and High Commission staff in the selected countries.

• Verification Only: These embassy officials will be responsible for verifying physical documents submitted by applicants.

• Back-end Processing: Once verified, applications will be forwarded digitally to DVLA headquarters in Ghana for processing.

• Local Collection: The processed licenses or permits will then be sent back to the respective embassies for the applicants to pick up.

Targeted Countries and Services

The initiative is currently in its pilot phase, focusing on five key international destinations with high Ghanaian populations:

1. United States of America

2. United Kingdom

3. Canada

4. Germany

5. The Netherlands

Services Offered

• Driver’s License Renewal: Allowing Ghanaians to renew their licenses without traveling back to Ghana.

• International Driver’s Permit (IDP): Facilitating the issuance of permits that allow Ghanaians to drive legally in foreign jurisdictions.

• Exclusion: The DVLA explicitly noted that vehicle registration services will not be offered abroad.

Why the Change?

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, led by Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, approved the project to combat the rising influence of "Goro Boys" (middlemen) who often provide fake documentation to unsuspecting Ghanaians abroad.

Starting in 2026, the DVLA is also rolling out Biometric International Driver’s Licenses that comply with ISO standards, ensuring they are more widely accepted and harder to forge.

Public and Professional Reaction

The initial report of sending staff abroad drew sharp criticism from prominent figures such as investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni and lawyer Oliver Barker-Vormawor, who questioned the necessity and potential cost to taxpayers. The subsequent clarification by management aims to reassure the public that the service rollout is a logistical partnership rather than an expensive foreign deployment.