Guidance on Correct Identification Number for Citizen and Resident Identity Cardholders

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: 

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.