Digital ID to be accepted for domestic travel

In an effort to bring about more security measures as well as easy access for the citizens of the Maldives, in December 2022 the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Technology along with The National Centre for Information and Technology (NCIT) announced the plans to officially start the usage of the digital identity card. 

In addition to having numerous security features, which ensure that people cannot access and change the details and information on a person’s identity card, this digitalisation also allowed easy access to e-Faas authentication services which will be used for Government digital services. With the usage of digital identity, access to getting services has already been made easier as people can now apply for services from the Department of National Registration (DNR) online through the portal.

Some of this ease include updating your information and applying for new identity cards, all through the online DNR portal, taking away the burden of having to physically fill out a form and showing up at DNR to obtain these services. In addition to the national identity card, citizens can now also get their visa process done much easier due to this digitalisation as well.

And now, this ease is going to apply to yet another sector as the domestic airport of the Maldives, Velana Airport has now announced that they will be accepting digital identity cards as a valid form of identification for local travel within the Maldives. This takes away a huge stress for those who accidentally forget to check whether their identity cards are with them or even those who forget to update their identity card before travels as the digitalisation has made it easier and quicker to update your information and ID as well as the possibility of showing a digital ID now takes away the stress of forgetting to carry your ID when packing for a trip.

In addition to the digital ID, the airport is still accepting passports, physical ID cards among other valid forms of identity as well. This process of accepting the digital identification for domestic travel has been accepted after getting approvals from Directorate of Aviaton Administration (DASA), which is run under the Defence Ministry of the Maldives. 

“The introduction of digital ID is a further step forward in the efforts to provide services to the people under a digitalized system. In addition to such systems established by the government, the Maldives Airports Company is doing many development works to provide convenient travel arrangements for passengers”, said a statement issued by the airports company, MACL.