Foreigners to pay $120 for Ghana registration
The National Identification Authority (NIA) on Wednesday said the registration of foreign nationals living in the country would cost $120 to any person that is eligible for Non-Citizen Ghanacard.
Scratch card is the only means of payment for the Non-citizencard and foreigners are to visit the NIA Head Office in Accra near the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange and the CAL Bank Headquarters at Ridge for their registration.
The exercise is under the Foreigners Identification Management System (FIMS), in pursuance of Authority’s mandate under the NIA Act, 2006 (Act 707), the National Identity Register Act, 2008 (Act 750) and the National Identity Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2111).
Mrs Bertha Dzeble, Head of Public Relations, NIA, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency said foreigners living in the country for more than 90 consecutive days in any given year and all those who are permanently resident in the country are required to register for their card.
“The exercise would assist the state to know exactly who lived in Ghana and also to give a better idea about the numbers and real identities of all eligible foreign nationals living in Ghana”, she added.
Mrs Dzeble said Ghana is not the only country with laws which require national identification listing Nigeria, South Africa, Mauritius, Malaysia, and Singapore with similar initiatives.
She said the FIMS is not meant to abuse or discriminate or repatriate foreigners, adding that its ultimate goal is to protect them and ensure their well being.
She said the ability of diplomatic missions to protect their nationals in Ghana would be considerably enhanced as FIMS can provide them with incontrovertible or verifiable information in a timely fashion.
Mrs Dzeble mentioned foreign nationals who are exempted from the exercise as diplomats and those employed by diplomatic or consular missions, foreign nationals employed by the UN, or any of its agencies and those employed by the AU or any of its agencies.
She said any organisation that offer services to foreign nationals shall demand the presentation of a Non-citizen Ghanacard from the individual concerned before providing the relevant service.
NIA was set up in 2003 under the Office of the President with the mandate to issue national ID cards and manage the National Identification System with its mission of adopting a cutting-edge technology to provide client-based identification services for socio-economic development, good governance, safety and security for all citizens and legal residents.
Source: GNA