The National Identification Agency (NIDA) has announced the launch of a nationwide identity verification and photo registration exercise for the upcoming electronicy ID starting October 28, 2025. ALSO READ: Six things to know about Rwanda’s proposed digital ID The exercise, which will begin in the districts of Nyanza, Huye, and Gisagara, aims to verify citizens’ information, capture updated photos for the upcoming digital ID (e-ndangamuntu). According to NIDA, during verification, citizens will be required to bring key documents, including their own national ID, the ID numbers of their parents if available, the spouse’s ID number for those who are married, a personal identification number, and an application number for those who have not yet received their national ID. NIDA emphasized that children under 16 years old must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians. Annette Umugwaneza, a communications officer at NIDA, told The New Times that this exercise will be conducted from October 28 to November 23, 2025, in the three pilot districts before expanding to the rest of the country. ALSO READ: Rwanda to spend Rwf12bn on digital IDs next fiscal year “The selection of Nyanza, Huye, and Gisagara was based on favorable weather conditions that will facilitate smooth field operations during the rainy season,” she said. Umugwaneza added that a total of 1,144 field officers will be deployed in the pilot phase, supported by fully equipped registration centers featuring biometric kits and digital systems capable of instant verification. Mobile units and multilingual service desks will also reach citizens in remote and marginalized communities. The digital ID will be issued to all Rwandans, including newborns and children under five, a demographic often excluded from traditional ID systems. Among other features, the single digital identification system will include biometric features such as iris scans and full fingerprinting, to enhance accuracy and security while reducing identity fraud in both public and private transactions. ALSO READ: Rwanda’s Digital ID: Iris scans, fingerprints help recovery when lost This new digital ID is also designed to serve as a single, verified identity for all Rwandans, simplifying access to essential services such as banking, SIM card registration, health insurance, and government programmes. To implement the project, the government has allocated Rwf12.2 billion in the 2025/2026 fiscal year, as part of the Rwf54.2 billion that could be spent on the digital identification and authentication programme. As the rollout begins in the Southern Province, NIDA urged citizens to prepare their documents early to avoid missing registration dates. “Following the verification phase, production of the new electronic ID cards is expected to begin in early 2026, with the first batch anticipated by June of the same year,” Umugwaneza said.
