AB Circle card readers certified for Japan’s fused digital ID, driver’s license

AB Circle has thrown its weight behind Japan’s “MyNa License” initiative, which combines the existing My Number card and driver’s license into a single smart credential.

Under a national rollout Japanese citizens carry one smart card for both personal ID and driving certification, to simplify everyday processes and bolster digital security. Japan’s My Number Card, managed by the Digital Agency of Japan, serves as the backbone of the country’s digital identity infrastructure, with over 100 million cards issued.

“The integration of My Number cards and driver’s licenses marks a major milestone in Japan’s digital transformation,” said Hiroyuki Shimada, General Manager of AB Circle Japan. “We are proud to provide the technology that enables secure, efficient and user-friendly identity verification for both citizens and service providers.”

The company’s CIR315A, CIR415A and CIR715A smart card readers have been certified for use with the new integrated ID cards. Each reader is built to extract and verify the embedded IC-chip data, which spans personal details and driving qualifications, in both mobile and desktop settings via Bluetooth or USB.

By delivering secure, accurate chip reading that aligns with Japan’s J-LIS public card standards, these devices aim to cut queue times, smooth operations at service counters and lay the groundwork for broader adoption across healthcare, transportation, rental services and financial institutions.

AB Circle readers feature in rental car agencies, driving schools and government offices. The company claims the CIR715A’s high-speed, multi-card capabilities and flexible installation options make it ideal for high security environments, reinforcing the system’s reliability as Japan moves toward a unified digital identity ecosystem.

Another device to get the go-ahead comes from Socket Mobile which won official approval from the Japanese government for its SocketScan S370 and S550 data-capture devices, qualifying them as certified readers for the My Number Card national ID system.

The inclusion on Japan’s official list of eligible devices opens the door for businesses and developers to integrate these readers into public-sector and commercial applications requiring secure access to government services.

“Our approval as an official My Number Card reader provider marks a major milestone for our presence in Japan,” said Dave Holmes, Chief Business Officer at Socket Mobile. “The scale and reach of the My Number Card program are immense, especially with its recent integration into Apple Wallet on iOS.”

Fime meanwhile was tapped to help enable interoperable and scalable testing for mobile solutions using digital identity. The new Digital Identity Reader Test Suite from Fime is tailored to accelerate the interoperability of the My Number Card and the ecosystem.

“Our work to support the My Number Card reflects our expertise in helping turn complex global standards into tangible, interoperable solutions that scale,” said James Daniels, SVP Asia Pacific at Fime. “By equipping vendors with cutting-edge test tools and expert guidance, we help accelerate innovation, establish trust and support compliance — essential ingredients for the future adoption of digital identity.”

The Digital Identity Reader Test Suite supports the Japanese language, and enables vendors to validate the solutions they develop against national requirements and international standards for data transfers between devices. It supports conformance validation as part of a broader effort to align My Number Card with the ISO/IEC 18013-5:2021 standard for personal identification, Fime says, which sets interface specifications for mobile driver’s licenses (mDLs).

Article Topics

AB Circle  |  digital ID  |  document reader  |  identity document  |  Japan  |  My Number  |  smart card  |  smartcards