National identity card printing and issuance services have been officially launched in Laamu Atoll.
As part of a project to streamline the process and make it more accessible to citizens across the country, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu inaugurated the project on 16 November 2024. The initiative aims to provide ID card and passport services without hassle, directly from residents’ localities.
The Department of National Registration (DNR) said starting Thursday, the Laamu Atoll Council has begun printing national identity cards which it said will be distributed directly to all island councils within the atoll.
“This marks a major improvement in service delivery, eliminating the wait for weekly dispatches from Malé,” DNR said.
The DNR said the service is now available in over 27 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 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.