Bahamas advances digital identity strategy with maritime and border initiatives

The Bahamas is host to two major launches in the digital identity realm as it prepares to expand to the population at large. The first launch is a blockchain‑secured Digital Seafarer Record Book (DSRB) from the Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA), and the second is a pilot of a Digital Arrival Card for visitors.

The BMA’s new Digital Seafarer Record Book replaces traditional paper documentation with a fully digital, tamper‑resistant platform for recording and verifying sea service. It’s built with blockchain‑based integrity safeguards, secure identity verification and real‑time credential sharing.

It complies with recognized maritime cybersecurity standards, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) dataset requirements, including the IMO Compendium on Facilitation and Electronic Business, and supports authenticated digital discharge certificates.

The launch follows a high‑volume pilot with Carnival Cruise Line and IDSure, which validated the platform’s ability to handle large numbers of seafarer applications. IDsure has ambitions to expand its digital identity and credentialing infrastructure to cover the global maritime industry, closing a €600,000 (US$695,400) seed round last month to fund the scaling of partnerships and training.

A key feature of the Digital Seafarer Record Book is the integrated verification process, allowing ship masters to digitally confirm each period of service with full traceability. Each entry can be independently validated via QR code. The DSRB became available to eligible seafarers on  June 1.

“This initiative represents an important step forward in improving the efficiency, security and reliability of seafarer record verification,” said Captain Kapila Malawwethanthri, Deputy Director for Seafarers and Manning at the BMA.

BDAC to simplify procedures for visitors to The Bahamas

The Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation has launched the pilot phase of the Bahamas Digital Arrival Card (BDAC).

It’s the Caribbean country’s first digital replacement for the long‑standing paper immigration card. Select visitors on participating flights can now complete their entry documentation online before arrival, with the digital form serving as both an immigration card and customs declaration.

The pilot is being run jointly by the Ministry, the Bahamas Immigration Department and Bahamas Customs Department. It follows months of system testing and recent amendments to the Immigration Act, which established the legal basis for digital entry documentation. Paper forms will continue during the pilot to allow for real‑time evaluation and refinement.

“The Digital Arrival Cars is not simply a technological upgrade; it is a statement of commitment to innovation,” said Deputy Prime Minister and minister of tourism, investments and aviation, I. Chester Cooper.

“We are focused on ensuring that when fully implemented, it delivers a seamless and effortless arrival experience for every visitor to our shores.”

Digital ID to improve service delivery, economic competitiveness

The two launches come as the government moves The Bahamas toward the digital economy through a national digital ID system, new AI legislation and a nationwide AI skills‑training initiative.

Minister of Innovation and National Development Sebas Bastian told Parliament that digital transformation must go beyond putting “paperwork on a screen” and instead involve full system redesign, reports Eyewitness News.

He said the proposed national digital ID will serve as a foundational layer for delivering services across ministries, reducing duplication and improving verification processes.

Digital infrastructure, he argued, is now a matter of sovereignty as well as efficiency. The government is also advancing AI legislation to regulate deployment, manage risks and establish national standards, supported by a framework for oversight and accountability.

Bastian linked the reforms to long‑term economic competitiveness. “Innovation raises productivity. Productivity grows the economy. And a growing economy widens the door of opportunity for ordinary Bahamians,” he said, adding that the goal is to ensure citizens are equipped to participate in a rapidly evolving global labor market.

Article Topics

Bahamas  |  border security  |  digital ID  |  digital ID infrastructure  |  IDsure  |  maritime