Ministry of Foreign Affairs denies approval for DVLA diaspora Licence services

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has categorically denied reports that it approved the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) to register and renew driving licences for Ghanaians living in the diaspora.

The Ministry stressed that no directive has been issued to any Ghanaian diplomatic mission abroad, and no approval has been granted for cross-border licence services in countries such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Germany.

According to the Ministry, there is no government policy supporting such an arrangement, and no formal engagement, financial commitment, or directive authorising the process exists in its records. “For the avoidance of doubt, there has been no formal engagement, no new policy brought to our attention, and no financial commitment as irrefutable evidence at the Ministry establishes,” the statement read.

The denial follows earlier comments by DVLA Chief Executive Officer Julius Neequaye Kotey, which created public confusion. Reports suggested that Mr. Kotey indicated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had granted approval for some DVLA staff to travel abroad to register and renew licences for Ghanaian drivers.

In clarifying the issue, the DVLA explained that its initiative would involve collaboration with Ghanaian embassies in the target countries. Embassy staff would be trained to verify applicants’ documents, which would then be sent to DVLA headquarters in Ghana for processing. Completed licences would subsequently be returned to the embassies for collection by applicants.

Mr. Kotey emphasised that no DVLA officers would be permanently posted abroad. He said the statement was intended to clarify the Authority’s approach and not to suggest that approval had been granted by the Ministry. The CEO noted that the initiative aims to ease access to services for Ghanaians in the diaspora and reduce the need for them to travel back to Ghana.

The Ministry, however, maintained that it had not issued any directive regarding the arrangement and was unaware of any new government policy permitting cross-border licence registration. It urged the public to disregard claims suggesting otherwise and reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and prudent management of public resources.

“For the avoidance of doubt, there has been no formal engagement, no new policy brought to our attention, and no financial commitment as irrefutable evidence at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs establishes,” the statement reiterated.

Source: Diplomatic Times