The Ministry of Digital Development of Russia has proposed replacing a citizen’s passport with the State Services mobile application in certain situations. The draft decree of the President of the Russian Federation has been published on the portal of draft regulations. According to the Ministry, the mobile application can be used to confirm identity and present government documents in simple life situations, such as shopping in a store, traveling, or receiving services at the MFC. The government will determine a complete list of such situations. However, the digital versions will not replace paper documents, and citizens can still present originals if desired. The draft decree was developed following a commission given by the Russian President to prepare a document that will determine the cases and procedure for using a digital identity card. The concept of an electronic passport has been in development in Russia since 2013, and the issuance of plastic cards with a Russian chip and applications with a QR code was planned to begin in pilot mode from the beginning of 2023 in three regions. However, the project for issuing digital passports was halted amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Ministry of Digital Development of Russia proposed to allow the use of the State Services mobile application instead of a citizen’s passport in some life situations. The corresponding draft decree of the President of the Russian Federation published on the portal of draft regulations.
As explained in the press service of the Ministry of Digital Development, the application can be used to confirm the identity or present other government documents in “simple life situations.” As an example of such situations, the department cited shopping in a store, traveling or receiving services at the MFC. A complete list of such situations should be determined by the government.
“At the same time, digital versions do not replace paper documents; if desired, it will still be possible to present the originals,” the press service of the Ministry of Digital Development noted.
The draft decree was developed in accordance with commission Russian President Vladimir Putin to prepare such a document that will determine the cases and procedure for using a digital identity card.
The concept of an electronic passport in one form or another has been developed in Russia since 2013. It was previously planned that the issuance of plastic cards with a Russian chip and applications with a QR code would begin in pilot mode from the beginning of 2023 in three regions: Moscow, Moscow region and Tatarstan. However, later the project for issuing digital passports was frozen. As Forbes reported, the project was technically ready to launch, but it was stopped amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
This proposed decree by the Ministry of Digital Development of Russia is a step towards greater digitalization and convenience for citizens. With the State Services mobile application, simple life situations such as shopping or receiving services at the MFC can be completed more efficiently. However, it’s important to note that digital versions do not replace paper documents and citizens are still able to present their originals if desired. The concept of an electronic passport has been in development since 2013, and although it was previously planned to launch in pilot mode in three regions, the project was put on hold in light of recent events. Overall, this proposal is a positive move towards modernizing the way citizens interact with government documents and services.