The government plans to gradually replace physical ID cards (KTP) with digital ID cards or Digital Population Identity (IKD). By the end of 2023, as many as 50 million physical e-KTPs will have been converted into digital ID cards.

This means that the identity card, in the form of a KTP, will eventually become fully digital and can be accessed from each citizen's smartphone.

The government converts e-KTP into IKD to reduce the cost of identity cards while preventing forgery or population data misuse.

Also, making a digital KTP is faster and more convenient; it does not need to be stored in a wallet, but on your smartphone. Before we go into how to make a digital KTP, we should first understand what digital ID cards are.

A digital ID card is a population identification card with a QR Code stored in a smartphone app. This ID card will serve as the digital identity of Indonesian citizens.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Directorate General of Population and Civil Registration (Dukcapil), the government targets to reach 50 percent of digital ID card users in Java and Bali, 30 percent in Sumatra and Sulawesi, 20 percent in Kalimantan, 40 percent in West Nusa Tenggara, and 10 percent of users in the islands of Eastern Indonesia, such as North Maluku, East Nusa Tenggara, Papua, and West Papua.

The main requirements for obtaining a digital ID card are possessing an e-KTP, being able to operate a smartphone, and residing in an area with an internet connection.

Meanwhile, the "Digital KTP" application will contain: KTP and Family Card document data; Digital e-KTP QR Code; and document data generated from the integration of the Population Identification Number, such as vaccine certificates, NPWP, and vehicle ownership letters.

The general mechanism for applying for a Digital ID card is as follows:

1. Download the "Digital KTP" application.

Download the "Digital KTP" (Digital Identity) application on their mobile phones through the Play Store and App Store.

2. Sign up for an account on the app

Sign up to create a new account by entering your Population Identification Number (NIK), email address, and active cellphone number.

3. Face recognition

Through the application, verify your data through face recognition. This method is part of the security feature to protect your ID card data.

4. Email verification

As a final step, verify via e-mail before logging in to the application. This process is done simply by clicking the link sent by the application operator through the verification email message.

Writer: Firman Hidranto
Editors: Ratna Nuraini/Elvira Inda Sari/Siti Chodijah
Translator: Aisah Amanda