National ID Card and eID in Foreign Countries 1/3

By Yusuke Koizumi, Chief Fellow

 In Japan, My Number system (National ID system) started in October 2015, and the My Number Cards (National ID card) were issued to applicants upon application since January 2016. Number of issued My Number Cards is 10,710 thousands (equivalent to 8.4% of Japan’s population) at March 2017, which already well exceeds the accumulated total number of previous ID systems of Resident Register Card (9,600 thousands). There has been some unforeseen system troubles in card management system. But the number of issued My Number Cards so far exceeds 10 million within the course of one year, in spite of no legal obligation to apply and obtain the card. It is remarkable achievement showing smooth start.

 My Number Cards can be used in many different purposes, firstly as an usual identification card to identify the holder face to face, and the function of public electronic certificate of the individual installed in the IC chip on the card enable the application online and electronically for issuance of residence certificate at convenience stores, logging in to My Portal website, and for the services (such as online banking service) at the private companies officially authorized for the service by the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications. Moreover, using the vacant space of IC chip, My Number Cards can be used for such service as private seal registration cards and library cards in the local community if so authorized by ordinance enacted by a local government. It can also be used subject to the authorized approval of the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications for point cards and corporate IDs of private company. The card is now being merged with national public servant ID cards and in the proposed schedule of the Declaration to be the World’s Most Advanced IT Nation (revised in May 2016), it was specified that the merger of My Number Card with health insurance card should be studied to commence in 2018. In this article we would like to introduce the cases of national ID card system in foreign countries as a reference for the further deployment of My Number Card.

 National ID cards are introduced almost in every country, including under development or new emerging countries such as Latin America and Africa. Exceptions are just few advanced countries as UK and USA. In USA, the Social Security Number is used practically as national ID number, but some card equivalent to national ID card does not exist. In UK, Identity Cards Act was enacted in 2006 and ID cards were issued in some regions in 2009, but it was abandoned by the change of the government in the election held in 2010.

 The purposes of use of national ID card in foreign countries are same as those of My Number Card and are categorized in two major purposes, namely as usual “physical” identification card to identify the holder face to face, and as “electronic” identification card to be used online.

 The initial purpose of use as usual “physical” identification as above is recognized same in every country, as to identify the holder in the public administrative procedures, at the time of issuing driver’s license and passport, at the time of opening the bank account and at the time of procurement of mobile telephone, at the time of recruitment and of estate deal contract, and at the time of police’s interrogation. We can see the strong tendency that ID card demanded in the every corner of the daily life to identify the holder in countries with severe national control such as Socialist countries and despotic countries. There are even such countries as people are demanded to show ID card when purchasing railway ticket (Myanmar), and when receiving postal items or exchanging foreign currencies (Cuba).

 It is to be noted, however, that many unique and different purposes of use are observed in the latter case of electronic identification card. They are really varying from country to country. We will cover the issue in the next article.