Identity card BES
Encyclopedia
The Identity card BES is a uniform identity card for residents in the Caribbean Netherlands introduced upon the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles in 2010. The cards are machine-readable and have the size of a creditcard. The front contains the words Identiteitskaart (Identity card) followed by the island names Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (with the name of the island where the card is issued in larger font and bold face). The card also contains the Coat of Arms
of the island of issue.
.
:
The machine-readable strip starts with I
issued in Bonaire were machine-readable upon the transition and will maintain their validity until expiry, whereas cards issued on Sint Eustatius and Saba are older and less secure. They will be valid until 1 July 2011 at maximum. Furthermore the possibility will be investigated to replace the card by the Dutch identity card
.
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of the island of issue.
Legal Basis
The legal basis is the Dutch law on identitycards BES which is derived from the corresponding law on the Netherlands AntillesNetherlands Antilles
The Netherlands Antilles , also referred to informally as the Dutch Antilles, was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consisting of two groups of islands in the Lesser Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao , in Leeward Antilles just off the Venezuelan coast; and Sint...
.
Physical appearance
The card contains 12 numbered fields on the front with explanation on the back in Dutch, English, and PapiamentoPapiamento
Papiamento is the most widely spoken language on the Caribbean ABC islands, having the official status on the islands of Aruba and Curaçao. The language is also recognized on Bonaire by the Dutch government....
:
- Surname
- Given names
- Date of Birth
- Place of Birth
- Sex
- Nationality (for Dutch: NLD, the card is also issued to non-Dutch residents)
- ID number
- Card Number
- Status
- Date of Issue
- Date of Expiry
- Signature
The machine-readable strip starts with I
Relation to other identity cards
The identity card of the Netherlands AntillesNetherlands Antilles
The Netherlands Antilles , also referred to informally as the Dutch Antilles, was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consisting of two groups of islands in the Lesser Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao , in Leeward Antilles just off the Venezuelan coast; and Sint...
issued in Bonaire were machine-readable upon the transition and will maintain their validity until expiry, whereas cards issued on Sint Eustatius and Saba are older and less secure. They will be valid until 1 July 2011 at maximum. Furthermore the possibility will be investigated to replace the card by the Dutch identity card
Dutch identity card
The Dutch identity card is an official non-compulsory identity document issued to Dutch nationals in the European part of the Netherlands and certain diplomatic missions...
.