All Jamaican citizens, locally and in the diaspora, will be eligible for the National Identification Card, which will be issued with the rollout of the National Identification System (NIDS).
This was disclosed by Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister, Hon. Floyd Green, during a special ‘River-side Chat’ segment of the Jamaica 60 Diaspora Conference, which opened on Tuesday (June 14) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade headquarters downtown Kingston and streamed online.
“It doesn’t matter if you are a Jamaican living in New York, the United Kingdom (UK) or wherever in the world. Once you are a Jamaican citizen, you can get a national identification card. Additionally, those who are resident in Jamaica for six months or more will also qualify for the NIDS card,” the Minister said.
Mr. Green noted that while Jamaicans in the diaspora will be able to go online and pre-enrol for NIDS, they will be required to visit an enrolment site in Jamaica to provide their biometric information.
“[Jamaicans in the diaspora will need to visit] the enrolment site, so that we can capture your facial image, we can take your fingerprint and we can process your card. The beauty of the pre-enrolment site is that you will be able to not only enter your information but set an appointment… for when you are travelling to Jamaica,” he said.
The procedure for enrolment into NIDS will be simple and easy to follow. Persons must submit documents such as birth certificate, proof of address or marriage certificate.
The first step involves the collection of applicants’ biometric data and supporting documents. At the next stage, a reference number will be given for the applicant to track the application online. In the final stage, once the verification is done, a notification will be sent to the applicant to collect, pin, and activate the national ID card that will be issued.
The first NIDS pilot enrolment site is scheduled to be established in Kingston and St. Andrew by August 2022 to facilitate a national pilot. Five additional enrolment pilot sites are to be set up in the Corporate Area before the end of the year.
The Minister said it is anticipated that by early 2023, the rollout of enrolment centres throughout Jamaica will begin.
“The plan is to have at least, initially, two enrolment sites per parish. In some urban centres, we will have to have more as we roll out… . By… mid-2023, we should have our enrolment sites up and ready and we should have a full national rollout,” he said.
Minister Green advised that persons may visit the dedicated NIDS website at www.nidsfacts.com to get further information and to send in questions. Persons can also follow the @NIDSfacts handle on all social media platforms to keep updated on the process.
Mr. Green further informed that persons may also reach out to him @FloydGreenJa on all social media platforms. “Send me your questions; I will respond as soon as possible,” he said.
Being implemented by the Office of the Prime Minister, NIDS is intended to provide a comprehensive and secure structure to enable the collection and storage of identity information.
The voluntary National Identification System will provide a safe, convenient and reliable means of verifying an individual’s identity. It will also facilitate the electronic signing of documents and allow persons to securely access a range of government services online.
