Maldives to launch smart ID in 2026

The Maldives are preparing to launch smart ID cards with an integrated digital identity next year, allowing citizens to identify themselves online and access digital public services.

​Around 272,000 individuals, about 80 percent of the population over the age of 10, have already been enrolled in the digital ID system, Minister of Homeland Security and Technology Ali Ihusaan said last week. The digital ID allows access to government platform OneGov, which currently offers services from 17 agencies.

​The government is also upgrading the national digital ID system eFaas. The system has been running since 2012 with facial recognition provided by Regula.

​The announcement is part of the country’s plan to expand the digital economy by 15 percent of GDP by 2030 and achieve developed nation status by 2040. The initiative relies on three key pillars, including a secure digital ID system, inter-agency data exchange infrastructure and cybersecurity measures, media outlet MV+ reports.

​In June, the country released the first draft of the Digital Identity Bill which establishes the Maldives Digital Identity System (MDIDS) with a mandate to operationalize digital ID registration and authentication.

Maldives expanding digital financial services

The island nation is also taking steps towards digitizing financial services and expanding financial technology solutions. In October, it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mastercard to establish a “Digital Country Partnership” (DCP).

​As part of the five-year agreement, Mastercard plans to work with the National Centre for Information Technology (NCIT) and the Bank of Maldives (BML) on enabling payments through the eFaas digital ID app. The plan also includes upgrading the existing Passport Card into a multifunctional Smart ID card that combines identity verification with embedded debit card functionality.

​The agreement aims to secure transactions by combating fraud and deploy national-level cyber threat analytics and defense mechanisms to protect critical digital assets and infrastructure. Finally, it also foresees the digitalization of government services and key sectors, such as fisheries.

​The Bank of Maldives introduced a multicurrency digital wallet called Swipe in October, designed to support domestic and international transactions. The platform is scheduled to enter beta testing this month and connect to international payment networks by the first quarter of 2026, per MV+.

Article Topics

digital government  |  digital ID  |  digital identity  |  digital wallets  |  eFaas  |  financial services  |  identity management  |  Maldives  |  OneGov  |  Regula