Across East Asia, digital ID systems have generally neither contributed to nor reduced statelessness, as access to digital ID remains closely tied to possession of foundational legal identity documents such as national ID cards or residency permits. In most countries, the grant of digital ID is not formally linked to citizenship, but eligibility depends on legal identity or residency status, which stateless persons often lack. As a result, denial or inaccessibility of digital ID does not itself create statelessness, but it reinforces existing forms of exclusion faced by stateless individuals. In countries where stateless persons cannot obtain digital ID, such as in China, Hong Kong, Mongolia, Japan, and South Korea, they are excluded from a growing range of state-sponsored services that rely on digital identity verification.^[52] These include government e-services, healthcare and insurance systems, social welfare programs, taxation, employment, banking and financial services, and access to education or digital public service platforms. Only one country in the sub-region, Taiwan, provides a pathway for stateless persons to obtain an Alien Resident Certificate (ARC), which can be used to access digital ID services.^[53] However, eligibility for the ARC is subject to specific criteria that many stateless individuals may not be able to meet. Generally, there are few or no alternative avenues for stateless individuals to access these services beyond in-person procedures or assistance from civil society organizations.

Legal and policy frameworks across the sub-region have not yet systematically incorporated safeguards to ensure inclusion of stateless persons within digital ID systems. While some governments (Mongolia, Japan) have adopted accessibility measures, such as mobile registration teams, multilingual call centers, or digital literacy assistance for elderly population, these initiatives are typically aimed at bridging the digital divide rather than addressing barriers faced by individuals without legal identity.^[54] Strengthening inclusivity around digital ID systems requires reforms that ensure universal birth registration regardless of legal identity and a commitment to ensure essential public services remain accessible through alternative mechanisms even for those without digital IDs. Without such safeguards, digital ID systems risk deepening existing inequalities in terms of access to legal identity and public services.

1. Summary Table

Table 6: Summary Table of Digital ID systems across East Asia