Ghana High Commission, UK to Expand Access to Ghana Card Services
The Ghana High Commission in the United Kingdom has announced plans to expand access to Ghana Card services for Ghanaians living in the UK and Ireland.
This will start with a special two day registration and replacement exercise this weekend.
The exercise, organised in partnership with the National Identification Authority (NIA) and its technical partner, Identity Management Systems (IMS), will take place on Saturday, August 1, at Ghana Party in the Park and on Sunday, August 2, at the James McKeown Memorial Temple in Archway, London.
The registration exercise will provide first time Ghana Card registration, replacement of lost, damaged or defaced cards, and registration for children aged six years and above.
The High Commission said applicants must complete their online registration through the NIA portal before attending the exercise and present the original documents used during the online application for verification. It added that applicants seeking registration at Ghana Party in the Park must have a valid event ticket to gain access to the registration centre.
“The Ghana High Commission encourages all eligible Ghanaians to take advantage of this opportunity to obtain the Ghana Card, which remains an important national identification document for accessing a wide range of public and private services in Ghana,” the Mission said.
Beyond the two day exercise, the High Commission announced that Ghana Card registration will continue throughout the year at its offices in Highgate, where applicants can complete biometric capture after registering online.
The Mission also disclosed plans to deploy NIA card printing machines to selected cities across the United Kingdom and Ireland to make the service more accessible to the Ghanaian community.
According to the High Commission, the initiative will reduce the need for applicants to travel to London to print and collect their Ghana Cards.
“The introduction of card printing facilities in selected cities will make the service more convenient for Ghanaians living outside London and improve access to national identification services,” it said.
The High Commission further announced that Ghana Card services will be incorporated into its mobile passport outreach programme.
This will allow Ghanaians in different regions to apply for passports and complete Ghana Card registration during the same outreach exercise.
The Mission said the expanded services form part of its efforts to bring essential consular and identification services closer to Ghanaians living abroad while making access to government services more convenient.
Joyce Adwoa Animia Ocran & Bridget Bonnie, ISD
