THE HAGUE - The Dutch Identity Card (NIK) has been officially separated from the Passport Act and placed under a distinct national law. This change means that the Caribbean countries within the Kingdom—Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten—will no longer be involved in amendments that pertain exclusively to the Netherlands.
The amendment follows the determination that, since 2013, the Dutch Identity Card is no longer an official travel document of the Kingdom but solely an identification document for the European part of the Netherlands. For the Caribbean countries, this represents a reduction in administrative burdens, as future changes to ID card regulations will no longer affect their systems or legislation.
The powers of the governors of Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten to confiscate identity cards remain intact. Additionally, the Dutch ID card will continue to be included in existing travel document registries, which is crucial for combating fraud and misuse.
With this amendment, the Netherlands can respond more quickly to European regulations and technological advancements without requiring an extensive Kingdom-wide legislative process. The Caribbean countries have been explicitly excluded from decision-making in this process, as the regulation of the Dutch Identity Card has no direct impact on their interests.