DVLA dismisses reports of operating licensing offices abroad

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has dismissed reports suggesting that it plans to establish full-scale driver licensing offices in selected foreign countries.

It described the circulating media headlines as misleading.

In a statement addressing the issue, the Authority explained that it has entered into a collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide limited services through Ghana’s embassies in specific countries to eligible Ghanaian citizens living abroad.

According to the DVLA, the arrangement is intended to make certain essential services more accessible to the Ghanaian diaspora without requiring applicants to travel back home. The services to be provided under the initiative include the issuance of International Driver’s Permits and the renewal of Ghanaian driver’s licences.

The pilot phase of the programme is set to begin in the United States, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The Authority noted that these countries were selected as part of an initial rollout strategy and may be expanded based on the outcome of the pilot.

Clarifying the implementation process, the DVLA stated that embassy staff in the listed countries will receive training to verify applicants’ documentation before forwarding them to Ghana for processing. Once applications are processed locally by the Authority, the completed documents will be dispatched back to the respective embassies for collection by applicants.

The Authority stressed that the arrangement does not involve deploying DVLA staff from Ghana to be stationed at embassies abroad, contrary to suggestions in some media reports. It emphasized that the collaboration is structured to operate within existing diplomatic missions, ensuring efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Management reaffirmed its commitment to expanding access to DVLA services for Ghanaians both at home and abroad, noting that the initiative is aimed at reducing defaults and encouraging compliance with licensing requirements.

The Authority also reiterated its open-door policy and urged media houses and members of the public to contact its Corporate Affairs Department for clarification to prevent the spread of inaccurate information.