The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) of Ghana plans to introduce biometric international driving and vehicle documents by 2026 to improve global recognition and security compliance.
This announcement was made by Julius Neequaye Kotey, CEO of DVLA, on his Facebook page.
Driving the news
- As a signatory to the UN’s Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, Ghana is required to meet specific documentation standards.
- The DVLA will roll out Biometric International Driver’s Licenses and Biometric International Vehicle Permits to replace current versions.
- The documents will include a bio-data page built to ISO (International Organization for Standardization) specifications, making them verifiable globally.
Why it matters
Ghanaian drivers have long faced difficulties abroad when their International Driver’s Licenses (IDLs) and International Vehicle Permits (IVPs) were rejected by some foreign authorities.
The upgrade aims to align Ghana’s international documents with global best practices and UN road traffic conventions.
What’s next
- The DVLA says issuance of the new biometric documents will begin at all its stations nationwide in 2026.
- The move is also expected to make it easier for Ghanaians living abroad to obtain internationally recognized driving and vehicle documentation.
The bottom line
By adopting biometric and ISO-compliant standards, the DVLA aims to give Ghanaian drivers the same level of international recognition and security assurance as their global counterparts.
