Peru obtains $80M to boost access to civil registration, identity services

Peru has secured an $80 million loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to strengthen the operations of its National Registry of Identification and Civil Status (RENIEC).

The idea is to implement activities aimed at improving access to civil registration and other legal identity services as part of efforts by the government to drive inclusion and enhance participation in the digital economy.

According to an announcement from the IDB, the funding, which was approved by the Bank’s Executive Board of Directors, will be used to boost in-person access to identification services, expand access using mobile equipment to these services by vulnerable citizens and those in difficult-to-reach communities, and deploy technological systems such as an Integrated Identification and Civil Registration System (SIIRC) to enhance the delivery of public services.

The project, which will also get $20 million counterpart funding from the Peruvian government, is intended to increase issuance of the national digital ID (DNIe), boost cybersecurity, data analytics, and how the public administration functions.

Peru is an early adopter of the Modular Open-Source Identity Platform (MOSIP) in Latin America, with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in February 2024 to enable the country build a “safe, inclusive, and empowering digital ID.”

As part of the IDB-funded project, Peru has set a 2030 target to considerably slash the time needed to issue the national digital ID from almost 10 days at the moment to just two days, increase identity coverage to about 75 percent, and ensure that at least 50 percent of all public transactions are completed using digital channels.

“Improving access to civil registration and identification services is a fundamental step toward reducing gaps and promoting more inclusive development,” the IDB Country Representative in Peru, Matilde Bordón, said.

“This operation supports Peru’s efforts to bring these services closer to citizens and to strengthen the conditions that make it possible to exercise rights and access opportunities.”

In a 2024 webinar organised by the IDB and the Center for Digital Public Infrastructure, Peru was cited alongside Brazil as successful case studies of countries implementing MOSIP-based systems that drive financial inclusion and ensure the efficient delivery of public services.

Article Topics

civil registration  |  digital identity  |  funding  |  legal identity  |  MOSIP (Modular Open Source Identity Platform)  |  national ID  |  Peru  |  RENIEC