The UK’s Office for Digital Identities and Attributes has published the results of a stakeholder survey on the cross-border use of digital identities and credentials, finding that regulatory fragmentation is the primary obstacle preventing digital verification service providers from operating internationally.
The survey, commissioned in May 2025 and completed by 39 digital verification service companies, was published today. Seventy-nine percent of respondents said they face barriers to operating internationally, with regulatory diversity, disparate technical systems, and incompatible standards cited most frequently as the root causes.
Sixty-two percent called for cross-border political or regulatory agreement to harmonise, align, or mutually recognise national digital identity frameworks. Fifty-seven percent wanted harmonisation and wider adoption of internationally recognised technical standards. The EU was identified as the most important international partner for the UK, with respondents recommending closer cooperation on legal and regulatory alignment.
Despite the barriers, 64 percent of respondents said they currently benefit from international digital identity activity. Finance was identified as the highest-value sector for cross-border digital identity use, followed by compliance and verification. Increased operational efficiency and reduced costs were named as the greatest potential benefit of deeper internationalisation.
Seventy-nine percent of respondents said they wanted the UK government to take an active role in enabling cross-border digital identity, the most cited area being government support for aligning legal and regulatory frameworks with international standards. Other priorities included establishing mutual recognition agreements, enabling private sector involvement in international policy-making, and issuing credentials and wallets directly.
The findings will be used by OfDIA to inform further discussions on the UK’s approach to cross-border digital identity. The survey results complement work already underway to align the UK’s digital identity and attributes trust framework with ISO and W3C standards. They also arrive alongside a parliamentary inquiry into the benefits and risks of digital ID opened by the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee.
Sources: GOV.UK, Enabling Digital Identity blog
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By Ji-seo Kim
