Airlines need time to accept digital ID cards for Barbados, Guyana travel

Last Updated on Tuesday, 26 May 2026, 19:50 by Denis Chabrol

President Irfaan Ali on Tuesday said Guyanese and Barbadians would from July be able to use their digital identification cards to travel to and from both countries from July.

He told a joint news conference with Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Mottley at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara that the two-month window period would allow the airlines to make arrangements to accept the cards.

“Today, you will see the power of the digital ID card as from July, and that is not because the system is not ready, that is because the airlines need some time to adjust to the new system,” he said.

Ms Mottley said eventually other countries would be added to the digital identification card travel regime.

The Barbadian leader said her country’s Minister of Innovation and Guyana’s Minister of Government Efficiency, Zulfikar Ally spearheaded the digital identification card travel initiative with their teams.  “Both gentlemen had to work with multiple departments across both Barbados and Guyana, as well as the regional security architecture, and in short order, less than six weeks’ time, they were able to allow us to align this possibility that enures not to the benefit of the Cabinet of Guyana or the Cabinet of Barbados, not enures to the private sector of Guyana or the private sector of Barbados, but it is now benefit to benefit each and every citizen,” she said.

Ms Mottley said even if a person does not have a passport but has a digital ID card, they could now travel between the two countries.