Guyana in talks with Belize, St Kitts & Nevis for e-ID card travel

Following the successful implementation of passport-free travel between Guyana and Barbados, the Government is now in discussions with Belize and St Kitts and Nevis to facilitate travel between the countries using electronic identification cards (e-IDs).

This was revealed by Minister of Public Service, Government Efficiency and Implementation Zulfikar Ally during an interview with this publication on Tuesday, where he noted that talks are also ongoing with other Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries.

Effective July 1, Guyana and Barbados began the use of e-IDs for travel between the two countries, allowing eligible Guyanese and Barbadian citizens to travel seamlessly without their passports. The initiative was first announced by the two countries in May as a major step toward deeper regional integration and stronger people-to-people ties between the two CARICOM nations.

Speaking during a simple ceremony to mark the inaugural flight of passport-free travellers, Minister Ally had announced the Government’s intention to make the e-IDs recognised as valid travel documents across the region.

“We’re not gonna stop here. This card will also be used for travel throughout the Caribbean,” Minister Ally had remarked.

Then in a video posted to his Ministry’s social media page on Saturday, the Public Service Minister reiterated this objective, noting that following his participation in the 51st Regular Meeting of the Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government in Saint Lucia, many countries expressed interest in coming onboard to integrate their e-ID cards with Guyana’s.

Registered

To date, over 31,000 persons have registered for the e-ID card. Persons can register for cards at any of the Government Service Centres available at Cotton Field in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); Leonora in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); Fort Wellington in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); or Port Mourant, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

Additionally, a centre is available at the Region Four Main Office at 37 Craig Street, Campbellville, Georgetown.

The Government is also in the process of setting up Government Service Centres in Bartica and Kamarang, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni); Linden in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice); and Lethem in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Essequibo), which Minister Ally anticipates will open in a few weeks.

Additionally, the Government is working on establishing standalone stations across the country where persons can go register for the e-ID cards.

“So, I hope to see those of you who have not gone yet to get your e-ID cards that you go out very soon to utilise the centres to get them done,” the Minister expressed in the video posted on Saturday.

In the interview with this publication, Minister Ally added that the Government is also looking at facilitating the registration of persons for the e-ID cards when they apply for their passports.

Target

Data Protection Commissioner Aneal Giddings told the Department of Public Information (DPI) in May that the Government is hoping to have 200,000 enrolments by the end of 2026.

The digital ID system is designed to improve access to Government and Private Sector services by allowing citizens and eligible residents to use a single secure identification document to access information and complete transactions more efficiently.

Citizens applying for the digital ID card are required to provide proof of citizenship, a pictorial form of identification and proof of address.

Supporting documents may include a birth certificate, passport, national identification card, driver’s licence, utility bill or Tax Identification Number (TIN) certificate.

Giddings has assured that the digital ID card is not intended to replace existing identification documents, such as passports, driver’s licences or the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) identification card at this stage.

Tracking

Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo had previously explained that the e-ID card will also be issued to foreigners in the country, enabling easier identification and tracking.

In fact, he had noted that without their e-IDs, foreign residents will be prohibited from opening a bank account and obtaining employment, since employers will be required to ensure they are in possession of this new document.

Jagdeo had explained in June 2025 that with this new e-Id card, “at any given moment, we will know of all of the people who are in our country who are not Guyanese and wherever they’re from. We will have their biometrics too so when we put in the 3000-4000 security cameras around the country, we will be able to tell you exactly where they are.”

The Government of Guyana in 2023 signed a US$35.4 million contract with German-based company Veridos Identity Solutions for the implementation of the e-ID card initiative.