Ukrainian government approves resolution on electronic passports

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the decision on electronic passports in the application "Diya". Photo: The Ministry of Digital Transformation Facebook page

On April 15, 2020, the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine announced that the Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution on electronic passports in the “Diya” app.

“We have good news – the government has approved the resolution on electronic passports in the “Diya” application. From now on, passports in a smartphone are officially digital analogues of paper documents,” says the message on the Ministry's Facebook page.

According to the Ministry, more than 17,000 Ukrainians are already testing such e-passports.

“The passport in the smartphone will allow you not to carry ID cards and extracts from it. If you do not have an ID card, we have digitized a foreign biometric passport, which also certifies your identity. It provides the same rights and opportunities as a paper one, operating within the country,” explained employees of the Ministry.

In their opinion, the use of an e-passport will be especially relevant in the quarantine, when the police can stop citizens for verification. They also believe that an e-passport is useful during the purchase of alcohol and tobacco, when the buyer needs to prove that he/she is an adult, or at the post office when receiving letters and parcels.

After the quarantine, an e-passport can also be actively used when travelling by train or by plane, visiting a hospital, conducting banking operations or receiving administrative services, the Ministry clarified and encouraged people to download the new application.

“Ukraine is the first country in the world where it is possible to use a digital passport and at the same time not to show a paper or plastic analogue,” the message says. “Now more than 2 100 000 Ukrainians are already users of the “Diya” application – you can download as well.”

Earlier, the Interior Ministry said that the new passports will only be in the form of ID cards, but later the Supreme Court lifted the ban on issuing an old-style passport.

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