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NIA starts registering Foreign Nationals



Story by: Fred Yaw Sarpong
The National Identification Authority (NIA) has started registering all foreign nationals living in Ghana for a total period of 90 days or more to be issued with the Non-citizen Ghanacard.
A statement from NIA said the Non-citizen Ghanacard shall be used for all transactions which require identification. Foreign nationals who do not have the card will not have access to essential services in Ghana.
According to NIA the registration is mandatory  and required by Ghana law for all foreign nationals living in Ghana expect for members of the diplomatic community.
‘Foreign nationals with permanent residence or indefinite residence status are required to register. Foreign nationals married to Ghanaian citizens who are also not naturalized as Ghanaians are required to register,’ the statement said.
NIA said all foreign national in Ghana first have purchase a FIMS Scratch card from any CAL Bank branch across the country during normal banking hours. The cost of the Scratch card is US$120.00 or its Cedi equivalent.
Daily Express gathered that the country has been divided into four zones for the registration purposes. Zone A comprises Greater Accra, Eastern and Volta; Zone B is made up of Western and Central regions; Ashanti and Brong Ahafo regions fall within Zone C while the three Northern regions (Northern, Upper East and Upper West) are in Zone D category.
Meanwhile, as part of registration, the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) is collaborating with the NIA to organize a special mass registration at the Accra International Conference Centre for foreign nationals with residence permit. ‘This registration will end on 30th August, 2013,’ the statement added.
It added that from the beginning of September, this year, no residence permit shall be issued or renewed to any one without the Non-citizen Ghanacard.

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