Malawi drops ID card expiry date policy as digital wallet launches

Going forward, there will be no expiry date for Malawi’s biometric national ID card. The announcement was made this week by the country’s Homeland Security Minister Peter Mukhito as he presided over the launch of the Nzika digital ID wallet on International Identity Day, observed September 16.

“A person’s identity does not expire,” Mukhito said at the event as quoted in a press release issued by the country office of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The policy takes effect immediately, the minister said.

Speaking about the wallet, he said its rollout is a major step in efforts by the government to reach universal identity coverage, and streamline how public and private sector services are delivered to citizens. Malawi already has a high identity coverage rate, but officials are aiming to meet the SDG 16.9 target by 2030.

“Today, we are not simply launching another application. We are changing the way Malawians prove who they are. We are taking national identity into the digital age. And we are making a clear commitment: no Malawian should be denied an essential service simply because a physical National ID card has not yet reached their hands,” Mukhito underlined.

He explained that the Nzika wallet is not replacing the physical ID card, but it is instead complementing it to make sure individuals access services in a secure and convenient manner in line with presidential directives to digitize all public services. It is not compulsory and those who prefer the physical ID can continue using them, he mentioned.

Developed by the National Registration Bureau (NRB) under the Inclusive Digital Transformation for Malawi (IDT4M) program, with support from the EU, Ireland and Norway, the wallet will enable citizens to access and manage official credentials including national IDs, birth certificates, marriage certificates, and death certificates.

In her remarks during the launch, the UN Resident Coordinator Rebecca Adda-Dontoh emphasized the crucial place of identity, saying it is an “essential infrastructure for rights, inclusion and opportunity.”

There’s been some rapid early adoption of the Nzika wallet as authorities say more than 22,000 persons have already signed up for it.

According to UNDP, Malawi is the fifth African country to operationalize a digital ID wallet, joining Ghana, Ethiopia, Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria.

The removal of expiry dates eliminates the need for periodic card renewal, reducing the risk of renewal costs or expired credentials interrupting access to services.

Kenya had maintained the policy for long, but a government source confirmed a change to a 10-year expiration policy in January, linking it to the embedding of a biometric chip in the new Maisha Namba ID which has a limited lifespan.

Tanzania, by contrast, removed the expiry date from its national ID in February 2023 to reduce the inconveniences associated with renewing the credential.

Article Topics

Africa  |  identity document  |  identity management  |  Malawi  |  national ID  |  Nzika Digital ID Wallet