North Macedonia to launch electronic ID and driving licence in October

The Ministry of Digital Transformation announced that citizens will be able to carry their national ID card and driving licence on their smartphones as official electronic documents starting in October, with the exact launch date to be published later.

How the mobile ID will work

“The application is expected to be officially launched during October, and the exact date will be announced additionally. According to the Law on Electronic Documents, Electronic Identification and Trust Services, electronic documents will have the same legal validity as physical ones. Electronic documents will not be an ordinary photograph or a scanned copy of the document, but official electronic documents taken from the state records,” the Ministry of Digital Transformation said.

The ministry said the system will rely on electronic identification and a personal PIN to control access. Data exchange will be carried out under a security protocol with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which maintains the source records.

“Access will be carried out through electronic identification and a personal PIN code, and the exchange of data will take place on the basis of a security protocol with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as the institution responsible for source data. Access to systems and information will be strictly limited, logged and available only to authorized parties,” the ministry added.

Officials stressed that paper documents will remain valid and that there will be no obligation for people without smartphones to use the application. The rollout will be gradual and the new electronic documents will be introduced progressively across institutions.

The ministry says the digital IDs will aim to simplify everyday life for citizens while ensuring privacy and security are priorities.

Reporter: Tamara Markovska

Photo: press material from the event