United Kingdom
The UK government has introduced a suite of enhancements to the GOV.UK register of digital identity and attribute services, aiming to streamline how organisations navigate the ecosystem of DIATF-certified providers. The Office for Digital Identities and Attributes (OfDIA) highlighted new provider- and service-level views, clearer tables, richer sorting and filtering tools, partial-match search, and a downloadable CSV for offline analysis. A new ‘Updates’ page offers a quick view of recent certifications, additions and upcoming expiries.
United Kingdom
A separate analysis from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) puts the provisional three-year cost of the UK’s national digital ID system at £1.8 billion, with no new funding allocated to support the programme. Digital Minister Ian Murray says the government plans to meet costs through existing budgets, while industry groups such as the Age Verification Providers Association argue that greater private-sector delivery could reduce expenditure and speed progress.
Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones will host DIATF-certified digital identity providers on December 2 for a roundtable on the government’s proposed mandatory national digital ID. Parliament is scheduled to debate the plan the following week, with techUK, AVPA and the Association of Digital Verification Professionals preparing a coordinated industry response.
New Zealand
New Zealand’s Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) is preparing a dedicated Digital Identity Services channel within the all-of-government Pae Hokohoko Marketplace. The forthcoming category formalises procurement pathways for identity and authentication products aligned with the country’s Digital Identity Services Trust Framework.
According to the government’s advance notice, suppliers will list offerings under four defined category types: Authentication Services, Binding Services, Information Services, and Verification Support Services. The change is designed to reduce procurement overhead for agencies and reinforce consistent standards across identity deployments. Biometrics and passkeys feature prominently in the proposed structure, signalling their growing role in New Zealand’s digital identity ecosystem.
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea has fully launched SevisPass and SevisWallet as part of its broader Digital Public Infrastructure programme. Announced during the Digital Transformation Summit on 24 November, the rollout is central to the country’s National Digital Identity Policy 2025 and its ambitions to strengthen public service delivery and online trust.
TECH5 is supplying the underlying infrastructure through its T5-OmniTrust suite, including contactless biometric capture (T5-AirSnap), ABIS matching, and machine-readable credential storage. The initiative is one of several national deployments TECH5 is backing as PNG advances the Digital Government Act 2022.
Australia
The Australian Department of Home Affairs is expanding access to its Immi App, enabling more visa applicants to provide passport details and facial biometrics via smartphone instead of travelling to a biometric collection centre. The app, available on iOS and Android, captures a live facial image and reads passport chip data where supported, transmitting both directly to Home Affairs.
Following phased pilots, the app now supports applicants in 34 countries, with further expansion expected. Successful mobile submissions can remove the need for in-person appointments and typically update an applicant’s ImmiAccount within about a day. Access remains limited to users with a valid passport, a previous biometrics record and residence in an approved country.
United States
The State of Alaska is exploring a major upgrade to its myAlaska citizen portal, outlining plans for an AI-enabled digital services hub through a new Request for Information. The proposal envisages “Agentic AI” modules capable of orchestrating transactions end-to-end with user consent, proactively issuing reminders, retrieving documents and auto-completing forms.
Alaska wants the first phase delivered within 120 days, with an emphasis on secure API integrations that allow the AI to interface with legacy state systems. The upgrade also includes plans for a built-in smart wallet and biometric authentication, extending the capabilities of the state’s longstanding single sign-on platform.
Somalia
Somalia’s National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) reports strong momentum in adoption of the country’s national ID, with over one million citizens enrolled and more than 24 public and private services integrated. The update was delivered during Somalia’s second national conference on the national ID rollout in Mogadishu.
NIRA says daily authentications continue to rise as it broadens use cases. The country aims to reach 15 million issued IDs by 2029 and introduce a digital version of the card in 2026, supported by World Bank funding and a growing digital services landscape.
Brunei
Brunei has soft launched its new national digital identity system, BruneiID, now available on Apple and Google app stores. The platform introduces password-less login, QR-based identity verification and a Digital IC displaying key attributes from a user’s physical identity card.
Overseen by the Immigration and National Registration Department, BruneiID will eventually replace the existing e-Darussalam authentication service. Eligibility extends to citizens, permanent residents and expatriates with Brunei-issued ICs, with registration available via mobile, kiosks or service counters. While BruneiID becomes the primary digital credential, physical ICs will continue to be required in some legal contexts.
