Sri Lanka’s national biometric digital ID program has moved into its final stage, with Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eranga Weeraratne confirming the system will complete rollout by the end of 2026. The announcement sets a concrete timeline for a program that has been in development since 2012 and represents one of South Asia’s most ambitious national identity modernization efforts.
The system, known as the Sri Lanka Unified Digital Identity (SL-UDI), is designed to enable what Weeraratne described as “peopleless” interactions between citizens and the state. By using biometric security for remote identity verification and electronic Know Your Customer (e-KYC) processes, citizens will be able to access banking, welfare, and official documentation services without visiting government offices in person.
“While efforts to digitise identity have been happening since 2012, recent administrative progress has finally brought the project to its final stages,” Weeraratne said. “The upcoming national digital identity system is designed to fundamentally change how citizens interact with the state by using biometric security to enable ‘peopleless’ interactions.”
The Master System Integrator procurement is expected to conclude in the coming weeks, with the first digital IDs anticipated in Q3 to Q4 2026. The digital IDs will incorporate biometric data encrypted with multi-layer security. Sri Lanka’s 2026 Budget committed approximately $120 million to the national digital identity and data exchange infrastructure underpinning the program.
The update follows coverage of Sri Lanka’s national digital ID program targeting end-March for MSI selection, with the deputy minister now pinning the end-of-2026 completion date. The program, which has been in development since 2012, reflects MOSIP’s brownfield adoption model for countries building on existing identity infrastructure, a framework gaining traction across developing-world deployments.
Sri Lanka’s rollout also reflects similar digital ID momentum across South Asia, where neighboring Nepal is advancing a World Bank-backed digital transformation program that includes a verifiable credentials locker. The regional pattern points to accelerating state investment in biometric-enabled digital identity as a foundation for public services modernization.
The SL-UDI program, once complete, is expected to serve as the interoperability backbone for digital public services across government ministries, financial institutions, and welfare agencies throughout the island nation.
Sources: Daily FT
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
