It’s official! Citizens of Barbados and Guyana can now travel between the two countries using their International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)-compliant digital national ID cards as travel documents.

The initiative came into effect on Wednesday, July 1. Minister of Innovation, Industry, Science and Technology (MIST), Senator Jonathan Reid; Chief Immigration Officer (CIO), Margaret Inniss; and Guyana’s Deputy Chief Immigration Officer (DCIO), Senior Superintendent of Police, Stephen Telford, were part of the historic process, as they travelled from Guyana to Barbados, on Caribbean Airlines flight BW 0217.

Minister Reid said following the bilateral arrangement between Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Mottley and Guyana’s President Dr Irfaan Ali, the two countries worked to get the process implemented within less than six weeks. He described the initiative as “a really exciting moment” as he outlined the role MIST played in making the process possible.