Cayman Islands launches tender for national digital ID cards via proposal request

The Cayman Islands’ e-government team in the Ministry of Commerce, Planning and Infrastructure, are in the final stages of preparing to roll out a digital National Identity program, Cayman Compass reports.

On 8th January, the government issued a request for proposals for technology and services to help implement the digital ID card system. The NID will be given to all Caymanians, permanent residents and must be accessible to all residents without specific technology requirements, including residents without smartphones, according to the proposal.

The photo identification card will carry the resident’s name, date of birth, immigration status, a chip, two digital certificates, and an identity number; becoming the dominant form of identification on the Islands, and potentially replacing voter ID cards. Individual’s personal identification data will be stored on the digital ID card’s chip, which can be read by contact through inserting the card’s chip in a reader, and contactless by tapping the card on a reader.

However, the NID cannot be used for travel purposes, and will not replace the Cayman Islands drivers’ licence, according to the request for proposal.

Director of the ministry’s E-Government Unit, Ian Tibbetts, said in the release, “The National ID card will be an easy, durable and convenient way to present personal information without the need to carry multiple documents.”

Digital ID card users will be able to e-sign documents and confirm their identity online, making the use of government services easier and more efficient. Authorities expect to begin issuing the cards later in the year, making the Cayman Islands one of several countries to introduce digital identity cards in recent years.

The request for proposal submission deadline is 24 February 2021.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  Cayman Islands  |  digital ID cards  |  digital identity  |  e-ID  |  national ID  |  smartcards  |  tender