The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that Ghanaians seeking employment in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) must now obtain a Good Conduct Certificate, also known as a Police Clearance Certificate (PCC), as part of the requirements for securing a work visa.
In a public notice issued on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, the Ministry said the directive follows an official communication from the UAE Embassy in Accra regarding a new immigration policy introduced by the UAE authorities.
According to the Ministry, the requirement is based on UAE Cabinet Decision No. 1/36 of 2026 and the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship Decision No. 1/36 of 2026, which make the submission of a Good Conduct Certificate mandatory for all employment visa applicants.
The policy is being implemented in two stages. The first phase, which took effect on March 30, 2026, applies to all categories of workers applying for employment visas from Ghana. The second phase, effective July 20, 2026, extends the requirement to all workers already residing in the UAE.
The Ministry explained that the Police Clearance Certificate is an additional document required for employment visa applications and must be authenticated by both Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UAE Embassy in Accra before it can be accepted by UAE immigration authorities.
It further noted that Ghanaians currently in the UAE on visit visas who intend to convert their status to work visas have been granted a 45-day grace period from the effective date of the policy to regularise their immigration status.
The Ministry urged prospective job seekers to comply with the new requirement to avoid delays in processing their visa applications. It also advised applicants to rely only on official sources for information and to contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ghana Police Service or the UAE Embassy in Accra for further guidance.
The UAE remains a major destination for Ghanaian migrant workers, particularly in the hospitality, construction, domestic work and service industries, with the new policy aimed at strengthening background checks for foreign workers entering the country.
Source: citinews
