Argentina enables remote digital ID processing for mobile during COVID-19 crisis

Argentina’s digital ID system has enabled the remote application and processing of urgently needed national IDs despite the halting of physical credential issuance to abide by social distancing and isolation measures, reports Infobae. Reasons for requesting an urgent digital document through this “exceptional” channel are loss, theft, illegibility of the physical ID issued, or processing and delivery pending.

“At the end of last year, Argentina was the first country in the world to offer its citizens, together with the physical ID, a true national identity credential within a mobile app, putting the Renaper institution at the forefront of innovation worldwide,” Assa Abloy HID Global Head of Sales for Latin America & Caribbean Jorge Castrillo wrote on LinkedIn. “Now the government is moving a step forward by providing mobile ID’s to their citizens while the Physical ID issuance has stopped during the global health crisis. Once again, a great example of how Governments and mobile IDs can help the world keep turning.”

The government announced that, due to COVID-19, all Renaper (National Registry of Persons ) documentation centers will be closed. Citizens over 18 who urgently need their digital ID can send a request to have it on their smartphone. If approved, an activation code and instructions will be sent and the virtual credential will be valid for 30 calendar days after the end of the quarantine.

Last year Argentina chose HID Global to provide its citizens with a national digital ID within a mobile app. A request for a mobile ID could be filed at a Renaper office. Citizens would then receive an email code to activate the digital DNI (National Identity Document).

Article Topics

Argentina  |  biometrics  |  digital identity  |  e-ID  |  HID  |  national identity  |  National Registry of Persons (RENAPER)  |  smartphones