KRG Introduces Digital IDs, Transforming Campus Life Across the Region

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – In a landmark initiative poised to revolutionize the student experience and accelerate its ambitious digital transformation agenda, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has announced the rollout of a new project to issue digital identification numbers to all university and institute students for the first time.

This significant step forward will provide tens of thousands of students with a unique 13-digit electronic ID, a digital key designed to unlock a new ecosystem of streamlined government and academic services, fundamentally reshaping the way students interact with their institutions and the state.

The move, which integrates students into the KRG's burgeoning digital population system, promises to provide unprecedented facilitation, replacing cumbersome paper-based processes with efficient, one-touch access to everything from exam results to official government portals.

This new phase of the KRG's digitization strategy represents a critical expansion of a program that has been methodically building a digital foundation for the entire population since 2021.

According to Brusk Awat, the head of the Digital Development Team who spoke exclusively with Kurdistan24, the KRG's Department of Information Technology has already made remarkable progress in creating a comprehensive digital identity framework for its citizens.

"The Department of Information Technology has registered more than two million people in the population system of the Kurdistan Region since 2021, and more than 2,100,000 people now have digital IDs," Awat stated, highlighting the scale and success of the broader initiative.

He detailed the carefully planned, phased approach the government has taken to integrate various sectors of society into this new digital reality. "Since 2021, we initially started with the employees and salary recipients of the Kurdistan Region," Awat explained, outlining the initial focus on digitizing the government's own workforce and payroll systems.

From there, the program expanded to encompass the private sector and various professional groups.

"Then for those who own their own businesses, then for taxi drivers, and then for lawyers," he continued. Most recently, the system was successfully utilized to manage a major civic and religious process, with digital IDs being issued to "those who had a desire to go for Hajj and registered themselves through the Hajj portal."

Now, the focus has turned to the next generation, a demographic whose integration is seen as vital for the long-term success of the KRG's digital future.

"From now on, one of the other plans and components that we aim for to have a digital ID is university students, especially students of public universities," Awat announced.

The inclusion of students is not merely an extension of the program but a strategic investment in embedding digital literacy and efficiency at the core of the region's intellectual and professional development.

The primary benefit for students, and the central pillar of the entire system, is access to the KRD Pass application. Awat described this platform as the crucial linchpin of the government's entire digital services strategy.

"Among its benefits, the first thing is the availability of (KRD Pass), which is the official application of the Kurdistan Regional Government produced by the Department of Information Technology," he said. "Through (KRD Pass) as a gateway to access all the digital services of the Kurdistan Regional Government, one can access those services through the app."

To use this powerful gateway, a digital ID is the essential and non-negotiable key. "To use (KRD Pass), you need a digital ID," he emphasized. "Those students who register for a digital ID can henceforth benefit from the services of (KRD Pass) and can have the services related to education easily available to them in the future."

One of the most immediate and impactful applications of this new system will be its integration with the Ministry of Higher Education's efforts to implement the Bologna Process.

This European standard is a series of agreements between European countries designed to ensure comparability in the standards and quality of higher-education qualifications. By adopting this framework, the KRG aims to modernize its universities and align them with international best practices. The new digital ID system will be the engine that drives this transformation.

"Another benefit is that the Ministry of Higher Education is working with a process called the Bologna Process, which is a European standard and seeks to improve educational services for the public sector in universities and colleges," Awat explained. "Therefore, from now on, there is a system that the Ministry of Higher Education, in coordination with the Department of Information Technology, has created, which is for managing the Bologna system."

This new online platform will serve as a central hub for a student's entire academic life, allowing them to "access their exams, their grades, their experiences along with the materials that are necessary for study."

Crucially, access to this transformative educational platform is inextricably linked to the digital ID. Awat reiterated the integrated nature of the system: "To enter that online system of the Ministry of Higher Education, you need to log in through (KRD Pass), which again requires a digital ID for you to be able to use that platform."

This creates a seamless, secure, and unified digital pathway, ensuring that a single, verified identity gives students access to the full spectrum of their academic resources and, by extension, all other government services offered through the KRD Pass portal.

Recognizing that widespread adoption depends on ease of access, the KRG has designed the registration process to be remarkably simple and efficient. "The process of obtaining a digital ID is designed to be simple and fast," Awat noted.

Students can visit any one of the 25 designated registration centers located conveniently throughout the Kurdistan Region. "By bringing their university ID, national card, and passport, they can complete the process in less than five minutes and obtain their own digital ID."

This streamlined approach has already yielded impressive results, with Awat confirming that, to date, more than 10,000 students have successfully registered and received their new digital identities.

While the current stage of the project is focused on students at public universities and institutes, the government's vision is far more inclusive. "In this stage, the project covers students of public universities and institutes, but the future plan is to include students of the private sector and even foreign citizens residing in the Region," Awat said, signaling the KRG's intention to create a universal digital identity system for all residents.

This ambitious undertaking is a core component of the KRG's broader strategic vision to modernize governance and enhance public service delivery. "This step is part of the Kurdistan Regional Government's strategy to transform the paper-based system into a digital system and provide faster and easier services to citizens," he concluded. For the students of the Kurdistan Region, this is more than just a new ID; it is their official entry into a more connected, efficient, and digitally-empowered future.