Maldives Plans Nationwide Smart ID Rollout With Integrated Digital Identity System

The government of Maldives plans to introduce smart ID cards next year as part of a nationwide digital identity program designed to unify access to public services. Homeland Security and Technology Minister Ali Ihusaan announced the rollout, saying the cards will be paired with a new integrated digital identification system that will serve as a single access point for citizens and residents.

State media reports that the program will link the smart cards to the government’s OneGov platform, which consolidates digital access to state services across the country’s dispersed islands. The new cards will include embedded chips and digital credentials connected to users’ verified profiles within the national digital identity system. According to official remarks, about 80 percent of Maldivians aged ten and older have already enrolled in the digital identity registry that will underpin the new credentials.

The smart ID initiative builds on the country’s existing eFaas digital identity platform, which currently enables users to log in to government services online. The planned upgrades will introduce additional authentication options and expand the system’s reach into private-sector applications such as banking and telecom registration.

Officials describe the program as a central element of the government’s digital-transformation strategy, which targets expanding the digital economy to 15 percent of GDP by 2030. A draft Digital Identity Bill is expected to provide the legislative framework for the new identity infrastructure, defining governance, security, and privacy requirements for the integrated ID system.

Reports from national outlets state that the cards will allow residents to verify identity both online and in person, replacing or supplementing existing paper or card-based credentials. The government has not yet released technical specifications, but the system is expected to support biometric verification and cryptographic security consistent with emerging eID standards.

The initiative follows broader regional moves toward secure digital identity ecosystems, joining efforts already under way in countries such as Pakistan and Singapore to expand citizen access to services via mobile and chip-based identity credentials. For the Maldives, the smart ID rollout represents a structural step toward service integration and digital governance modernization.

Sources: PSM News, The Maldives Journal, Plus.mv, Commonwealth Union, eFaas.gov.mv

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By the ID Tech Editorial Team