On March 30, the deputies of the Verkhovna Rada in the second reading adopted draft law No. 4355 "On the Unified State Demographic Register and documents confirming the citizenship of Ukraine, certifying the personality or its special status" on digital passports. 302 people's deputies voted "for".
The corresponding law enters into force on August 23, 2021.
As noted by the Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Digital Transformation, Mikhail Fedorov, Ukraine is the first country in the world to launch digital passports and legally equate them to ordinary documents.
"Diya" users will no longer face situations when a digital passport is not accepted. This is not just an important event in the history of modern Ukraine and a big step towards the implementation of the "paperless" regime. This is a unique global case that you can and should be proud of," he commented.
The Ministry of Digital Transformation launched digital passports in the Diya mobile application in April last year. Digital passports are much safer and more convenient than paper ones. Now about 20 million Ukrainians can use them - more than 5,5 million of them have an ID card and another 18 million are recognized as holders of foreign biometric passports.
"The draft law will provide the possibility of using electronic documents in a mobile application at the same level as ordinary passports. This is the first step towards the introduction of a paperless regime in Ukraine - when state bodies will not be able to demand paper documents if the information is already in the registers. You will be able to choose which passport you use today," said the head of the Committee on Digital Transformation, Mikhail Kryachko.
Digital passports can be presented on the territory of Ukraine for identification and confirmation of citizenship, except in cases of crossing the state border, entering and leaving the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine.
Ukrainians can already use digital passports in most life situations. They are accepted in administrative service centers, state institutions and courts. Digital passports can be used to receive ones sent by mail, to confirm age in supermarkets, in banks - to confirm identity and carry out cash operations, as well as to open a bank account online. With digital passports, you can travel around Ukraine by plane and train, check into a hotel, and so on.
In addition, digital documents in smartphones are also used in Poland and South Korea. Similar projects are being implemented in Great Britain, Finland, and the United States. Citizens of Estonia use a digital ID card with which they can receive online government services, manage bank accounts, and vote via the Internet. However, Ukraine is the first country in the world where digital passports in a smartphone have the same legal validity as paper and plastic documents.
In September 2021, Ukraine will begin entering the "paperless" regime - state bodies will not be able to demand paper documents if the necessary information is already in the registers.
