No passport. OECS makes travel easier from Aug. 1

The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) has agreed that from August 1 this year nationals of their respective countries will only need a driver’s licence or identification card to travel through the sub-region.

The announcement was made in a communique at the end of the 52nd meeting of the OECS Authority in Grenada.

“Heads of Government acknowledged the pivotal role of free movement of people in the OECS Economic Union as a single financial and economic space. They agreed that all actions necessary to give full effect to the free movement regime would be completed by August 1, 2011 at the latest," the document said.

“By that date we expect OECS citizens to be moving in and out of OECS states without restrictions,” host Prime Minister Tillman Thomas told reporters Tuesday.

“Once you have a driver’s licence or ID card you should not have any difficulty moving. We are removing all the impediments to restrictions.”

In addition the leaders agreed that a driver’s licence issued in one OECS country would be accepted for use in another for short term visits.