National identity card printing and issuance services have been launched in Fuvahmulah and Addu City.
It is a key policy of the government to provide ID card services in every atoll across the Maldives.
The Department of National Registration (DNR) said the introduction of ID card printing and issuing services in Fuvahmulah City, and Hithadhoo and Hulhudhoo of Addu City, eliminates the need for residents to travel to obtain the service, thereby improving efficiency and strengthening administrative access. It further stated that the rollout is part of a broader policy to provide access the service from all inhabited atolls or their capitals.
The DNR said the service is now available in over 23 islands across the Maldives. The aim is to start printing and issuing ID cards in all atolls before the end of this year, the department said.
This move away from centralised issuance in the capital, Male’, reflects a broader campaign promise by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu. The decentralised roll-out began in November of the previous year, when Villingili in Gaafu Alifu Atoll became the first location outside Male’ to offer identity card services.
The administration is also extending its efforts beyond national borders. Malaysia was the first foreign country to facilitate ID issuance for Maldivians, and preparations are under way to launch similar services in Sri Lanka, India and the United Kingdom, regions with significant Maldivian footfall.
Government officials maintain that these domestic and overseas expansions form part of a single, integrated strategy. By the close of the calendar year, they aim to ensure that identity card services, essential to accessing a wide spectrum of public programmes, are available to all Maldivians, wherever they reside.