The Digital Identity Card Act 19 of 2023 came into full force and effect through Commencement Order on 31st March, 2026 under the hand of the Minister responsible for Data, Hon. Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips, Prime Minister of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.
Section 6 (1) of the Act stipulates:
A Digital Identity Card shall be an official document, sufficient and necessary to lawfully identify the person in doing any business with a public body or private sector entity, whether in person or online, within Guyana or in any country that has a reciprocal agreement with Guyana for the use of such a card.
This release serves as a notice to all authorities, financial institutions, employers and other entities that the card must be accepted, under the Act, as an official form of identification for persons conducting any form of business or transaction in Guyana.
The Registry currently issues two categories of identity cards: the Citizen Identity Card, issued to citizens of Guyana, and the Resident Identity Card, issued to eligible non-citizens permitted to work in Guyana. Each card displays several numbers, and entities are advised to use the correct one for identity verification and record-keeping purposes.
For the purpose of recording information from the card when conducting business, the following guidance should be followed:
Use the GUIN or RIDN as the Permanent Identity Reference
All authorities and entities are advised to always record the GUIN (Guyana Unique Identification Number) for citizens, or the RIDN (Resident Identification Number) for eligible non-citizens, as the permanent identity reference for every cardholder.
These numbers are assigned to the cardholder upon acquisition of the card and remain unchanged for life, even when the physical card is renewed, replaced, or corrected. They are located in the biodata section on the front of the card, in the last field to the right of the photograph.
Digital Identity Card Registry, 37 Craig St. Campbellville, Georgetown, Guyana Tel (592) 223-5430 ext. 58402 | Email: info@e-id.gov.gy | Website: www.e-id.gov.gy
Other Numbers on the Card and Their Purpose
The card also displays a Document Number and a Card Access Number (CAN). Neither of these is permanent, and neither should be relied upon as a standalone identifier. The table below summarises each field:
| Field | Card | Permanent? | Typical Use | Location on Card |
| GUIN – Guyana Unique Identification Number | Citizen Identity Card | Yes | Primary identity reference. Does not change. | Last field in the biodata section, right of the photograph |
| RIDN – Resident Identification Number | Resident Identity Card | Yes | Primary identity reference. Does not change. | Last field in the biodata section, right of the photograph |
| Document Number | Both cards | No | Travel reference. Changes with every new document (renewal, replacement, correction). May be used alongside the GUIN/RIDN. | First field under the transparent window |
| CAN – Card Access Number | Both cards | No | Technical control value for the embedded chip. Must not be used for identification. | Field to the right of the Date of Expiry |
Guidance for Authorities and Entities
- Record the GUIN (Citizen Identity Card) or RIDN (Resident Identity Card) as the permanent identity reference in all systems, files, and databases.
- The Document Number may be recorded where relevant, such as for travel or immigration purposes, but must not be used as a standalone identifier, since it changes each time a new card is issued.
- The CAN must never be used for identification purposes. It is a technical control value related solely to the card’s embedded electronic chip.
- Where a discrepancy arises between the Document Number on file and the Document Number on a renewed or replaced card, the GUIN/RIDN should be used to confirm the cardholder’s identity.
Why This Matters
Because the Document Number changes with every renewal, replacement, or correction, entities that rely on it alone as a permanent identifier risk losing continuity of records or misidentifying cardholders over time. The GUIN and RIDN were designed specifically to prevent this, providing a single, lifelong reference number for every citizen and resident cardholder.
