In a bold move to crack down on the use of fake Ghanaian driver’s licences abroad, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has announced plans to establish six overseas offices, marking a significant expansion of its operations beyond Ghana’s borders.
The announcement was made during the commissioning of a cutting-edge DVLA office in the Adentan Municipality on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. The newly launched facility, which boasts 24-hour service delivery, is part of a broader strategy to enhance the authority’s capacity to regulate driver licensing and vehicle registration more effectively.
Speaking at the event, DVLA CEO Julius Neequaye Kotey revealed that the international offices would initially be set up in Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, Dubai, and South Africa. These locations were selected based on the high concentration of Ghanaian expatriates and ongoing reports of fraudulent licence use in these regions.
“The DVLA, under my leadership and in collaboration with Foster Yeboah, is establishing six new overseas stations to address the growing issue of fake licences,” Kotey said. “We have already made significant progress with several embassies, including those in Germany, the UK, the USA, Canada, Dubai, and South Africa, to make this a reality.”
Kotey emphasized that the pilot phase would focus on these countries before potentially expanding to other regions with significant Ghanaian populations.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Transport, Joseph Bukari Nikpe, who was a guest speaker at the event, commended the DVLA’s efforts but urged the authority to ensure that its expansion strategy aligns with its core mandate of enhancing road safety and regulatory oversight.
“On behalf of the President, we charge the DVLA to continue improving service delivery and to ensure that every vehicle on our roads is properly registered and roadworthy,” Nikpe said.
The move to establish overseas offices is seen as part of a larger effort to modernize Ghana’s transportation sector and combat the rising challenge of document fraud, which has not only tarnished the country’s reputation but also created legal headaches for Ghanaian expatriates.
The DVLA’s overseas expansion is expected to streamline the verification of Ghanaian driver’s licences, reduce fraud, and improve overall road safety standards for Ghanaians living abroad.
