By Dawda Jallow
The Gambian government has announced that the issuance of new national identification cards, driver’s licences and related documents under its Public-Private Partnership (PPP) agreement with Margins ID Group will commence on 29 June 2026.
In a statement issued through the Ministry of Interior, the government said the new “Go-Live” date had been rescheduled to allow technical preparations ahead of the nationwide rollout.
The government further announced the immediate temporary suspension of the issuance of national ID cards by the Gambia Immigration Department (GID) and driver’s licences by the Gambia Police Force (GPF).
According to the statement, the suspension is intended to provide a cooling-off period for technical teams to review, back up and synchronize the existing database that will be used for verification purposes under the new system.
Applicants who have already made payments through the GovPay portal will be allowed to proceed with enrolment procedures, while those who have completed enrolment and are awaiting their cards will receive the new documents after the launch date.
The government also disclosed that approximately 670,000 holders of valid national ID cards will benefit from free replacement cards on a first-come, first-served basis during the first six months following the launch.
Under the new arrangement, the validity period of national ID cards has been extended from five years to 10 years.
The government expressed regret over any inconvenience the temporary suspension may cause and appealed for public patience as preparations for the new system are finalized.