For those who are current, this information may be useful to you.
Required Documents
Document Checklist for "DV Lottery" Participants
In order to improve visa processing, all the documents provided by the applicants should be prepared and assembled as described below. Please put the documents in the following sequence before the interview.
Passport
The passport should be valid for at least sixty days beyond the period of validity of the visa. Please remove any plastic sleeves/coverings from the passport.
Photograph
Each applicant must submit one photo which meets all the requirements listed
here.
Birth Certificate
Ghanaian authorities issue two documents as evidence of birth. A "Birth Certificate" is provided to the person making registration at the time of registration. This document which bears no seal, may be white, light gray, ledger green, or light blue, and, in recent years, has often been forged. The "Certified Copy of Entry in the Register of Births," also called "Certified True Copy of Entry in the Register of Birth," is provided to persons who request birth documentation at some time after the initial registration. This document, which is either white or pink, is approximately 6-1/2 inches by 18 inches and bears the raised seal of the Registrar of Births and Deaths for Ghana. Persons registered before March 1957 received a "Certificate of Registration of Birth" at the time of registration. This document is approximately 5 inches square and was issued by the Government of the Gold Coast Colony. It bears no raised seal.
Marriage Certificate (if applicable)
Available for marriages entered into under civil law from the Principal Registrar of Marriages, C/O Registrar General's Office, P.O. Box 118, Accra, Ghana. There is a fee for this service. Most marriages are performed under customary law, and written records are kept only if the couple chooses to register the marriage with the local council. Persons married under customary law who subsequently wish to marry under civil law must obtain a civil marriage certificate which reflects the words "married under native customary law" in the space provided for "condition." Polygamous marriage is permissible under the customary law of some groups, but not under civil law.
Divorce Certificates
Any applicant who has been previously married must obtain evidence of the termination of each prior marriage such as final divorce decree, death certificate or annulment.
Available. Certificates for the dissolution of a civil marriage may be obtained from the court that granted the divorce. Proper documentation of the dissolution of a customary marriage is a decree, issued by a high court, circuit court or district court under the Matrimonial Causes Act of 1971 (Act 367), Section 41(2), stating that the marriage in question was dissolved in accordance with customary law. Affidavits or "statutory declarations" attesting to a divorce under customary law, even when duly sworn, do not constitute proper documentation of the dissolution of a Ghanaian customary marriage.
Death Certificates
Available. A certified true copy of an entry in the Register of Deaths may be obtained from the appropriate Registrar's Office. Records more than one year old are deposited with the Office of the Registrar of Births and Deaths for Ghana, C/O Ministry of Local Government, P O. Box M.270, Accra, Ghana. There is a fee for this service.
Police Records
Ghana Police Clearance Certificate: Available. Residents of Ghana should report to the headquarters branch of the Criminal Investigations Division of the Ghana Police Authority in Accra, where a fingerprint sample will be taken. Cost for preparation of the certificate is approximately $7 USD (higher for expedited service), payable in local currency, for preparation within 7 days. Non-residents should forward a letter of request for a Police Certificate for Immigration Purposes. Accompanying the letter should be a certified sample of the applicant's fingerprints and an international money order in the amount of $80 USD made out to "Commissioner of Police, Ghana." Forward these documents to the following address:
Commissioner of Police
Criminal Investigations
Department Headquarters
PO Box 505
Accra, Ghana
Prison Records
Available. In the case of a person who has been incarcerated, a prison record may be obtained from the Director of Prisons, P.O. Box 129, Accra. There may be a fee for this service. Processing time varies, depending on the length of the sentence, how long ago and in what prison the sentence was served.
Military Records
Available. In the case of a person who has served in the Gold Coast or Ghana Armed Forces, a military record may be obtained from the Director of Personnel Administration, Ministry of Defence, Burma Camp, Accra, Ghana.
Medical Examinations
All applicants should submit the results of medical examination in the original unopened envelope. For further information regarding required medical examination.
Financial Documents
Diversity Visa applicants must demonstrate that they have the financial means to support themselves and not become a public charge on the U.S. government.
Evidence of Required Education or Work Experience
This requirement applies only to the principal applicant, whose entry was selected in the lottery. For additional details, please see the DV instructions.
Translations
All documents that are not written in English must be translated into English by a certified translator.
Photocopies
All documents must be photocopied and attached to the original documents in the same sequence.
DHL courier service order
Applicants from the UK receive their visas via DHL courier service. They must complete a DHL delivery order, which will be enclosed with the invitation letter for their visa interview. A separate order for each visa applicant must be submitted together with the documents described above.
Visa Issuing Post
Accra, Ghana (Embassy)
US Embassy
No. 24, Fourth Circular Road, Cantonments, Accra
P.O. Box 194
Accra, Ghana
Telephone: (233) 21-741-000
After Hours Emergency: (233) 21-741-775
Fax: (233) 21-741-389
Consular Section
No. 19 Fifth Link Road.
Cantonments, Accra
Accra, Ghana
Telephone: (233) 21-741-100
Fax: (233) 21-741-362/741-426
Email:
consulateaccra@state.gov
Mailed in Ghana:
Consular Section
US Embassy
P.O. Box GP 194
Accra, Ghana