There is no formal Digital ID system established in Laos, instead it relies on a quasi-Digital ID service.[6] In June 2018, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Lina Network and the Department of Science and Technology for the implementation of a digital ID system using blockchain technology.[7] However, since the signing of the MOU there has been minimum progress in establishing the technological and regulatory infrastructure to implement and administer the digital ID system.[8]
In June 2023, the Government of Laos, in partnership with UNDP, developed and launched Gov-X – an application which aims to improve the delivery of government services to its citizens.[9] As mentioned above, Laos operates a mandatory National ID card system administered by the Ministry of Public Security, which assigns individuals a Unique Identification Number (UIN) originating at birth registration.[10] In principle, this provides a common identifier across government systems. However, due to limited publicly available information, it is difficult to assess whether this identifier is consistently used throughout the full ‘identity lifecycle’ or fully integrated across digital platforms.[11] The ID system is functional in nature. It operates through the implementation of its one-stop application, Gov-X. The application Gov-X, while not-mandatory, allows for online access to public services claimed to ‘make government services more accessible, efficient, and transparent.’[12] It permits users to digitize official documents, including identity cards, passports, and driver’s licenses.[13] Other services that can be accessed through the application include birth registration and forms for other civil registration. Users can also monitor the status of their application for various documents, check their eligibility for social welfare benefits, and register for SIM cards.[14] The government plans to link more public services to Gov-X in the future.[15]
The civil registration systems have been integrated into the digital ID framework in Laos. Up until 2020, Laos’s civil registration system was completely paper-based, However, it is now being digitized.[16] The new digitized system, called the Civil Management Information System (CMIS), was launched in September 2022.[17] One of the key barriers to full digitalization of the system is the high cost of internet, as well as the difference in internet access in urban and rural communities.[18] All persons in Laos are required to carry the National ID Card as is the main form of digital identification for citizens.[19] In 2015, the older national IDs were converted to Electronic- IDs (E-ID), through a government initiative that cost USD 37.5 million.[20] The E-ID program aims to replace paper IDs by issuing new digital ID cards to all Lao citizens.[21]
