The Russian Ministry of Digital Development has proposed, in certain cases, allowing electronic documents issued via the Gosuslugi portal to hold the same standing as traditional paper documents. This initiative could apply to passports and other identity papers.
Officials indicated that such a mechanism would be useful in everyday scenarios. Examples include shopping in stores, boarding trains, or obtaining public services at MFC centers, according to the ministry’s press service.
The explanatory note notes that digital documents could assist Russians in purchasing alcohol or cigarettes. Yet the draft presidential decree stresses that the government will define how digital information is used within 90 days from the law taking effect. The Council of Ministers will also set the terms for using the State Services application and the methods for processing and verifying electronic documents. At the same time, using the Gosuslugi app to present information would be optional.
The ministry stated that digital versions do not replace paper documents; originals can still be presented if desired.
The Cabinet will coordinate with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB on the use of the Gosuslugi mobile app in place of physical documents.
The decree authors argue that this approach will streamline the identification process and will not cause socio-economic, financial, or other disruptions for businesses and other economic activities, nor will it hinder the achievement of state program goals for the Russian federation.
The draft decree, On the Submission of Documents Using Information Technology, was developed under the instruction of President Vladimir Putin dated February 15 and was published on the portal for normative legal acts projects.
The Ministry of Digital Transformation first released Putin’s draft resolution on digital passports on March 19, 2021, more than two years ago. It was planned that, starting December 1 of that year, Muscovites would be the first to receive and use the relevant documents. Across Russia, the app was expected to roll out no later than July 1, 2023.
Legislators had proposed embedding a chip in the passport containing owner information, including a photo and fingerprints. Russians could install a mobile app to replace the passport in many situations.
However, by June 2022 the project was frozen amid Western sanctions and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, as reported by Forbes citing sources. A source involved in the project said the creation of an electronic passport was halted for material reasons.
According to the same sources, the move would have caused substantial societal changes: if residents of Moscow could access these costs, regional residents might face different price dynamics, and the practical benefits of the passport were not entirely clear, the source noted.
Although the technical groundwork existed, government approval for launch was lacking. Another factor cited was a shortage of chips, which were scarce even for debit cards, complicating production.
Meanwhile, a Forbes source close to a microelectronics producer noted that chips for smart cards could be produced in large volumes, but the specific components required for an electronic passport were unclear due to missing technical documentation.
In mid-February of this year, President Putin and Maksut Shadayev, head of the Ministry of Digital Development, revisited the decree. The minister explained the technology: a user uploads a biometric photo to the Gosuslugi system, a QR code is generated, and that code can be presented for verification. A person checking the information could confirm age, name, and surname via the Gosuslugi mobile app.
It is suggested that, in most cases, this would enable Russians to use a smartphone in place of the physical passport, and the technology is described as secure and already coordinated with the FSB, according to the ministry.
Putin ordered the preparation of a decree detailing when and how a digital identity card could substitute for a paper document, with a deadline set before May 1.
“These services are in high demand, and their expansion needs to move faster,” emphasized the President of Russia.