The Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) has officially launched its new National Identification Card, equipped with new features to better prevent counterfeit and fraud.

The Commission revealed the new look of the card on Monday.

The new ID card is made of a polycarbonate substrate and incorporates a sophisticated array of security features to ensure multi-layered protection against the threat of counterfeit and fraud. The new card is being introduced in line with current developments in election management and will be introduced on a phased basis.

In the initial phase the new cards will only be available to first-time applicants, persons replacing lost or stolen cards and those changing their names.

Effective January 2021, cards will be available to all registered persons. This will include all persons whose ID cards have expired and those due to expire in 2020, where the expiry dates were previously extended to December 31, 2020.

The EBC reminds that renewals for expired ID cards will resume in January 2021 and will be conducted by appointments only.

The public will be advised of this appointment system accordingly.

These cards are visibly different to the ones currently in use will eventually replace the cards, presently in circulation. National ID cards that have not yet expired remain valid and will be accepted everywhere national ID cards are required.