Digital ID rollout targets four million credentials by mid-2028 as eight govt projects kept secret

Summarised by Centrist

Government documents reveal a target of issuing four million digital credentials by mid-2028, while officials are withholding details of eight further credential projects across five agencies.

BusinessDesk’s Oscar Francis reports that documents released under the Official Information Act show the target was rated on track in April, although accompanying comments were redacted.

A Public Service Commission spokesman confirmed the eight undisclosed credentials were under development. Their details were withheld because they remained subject to an “active government decision-making process”.

The documents also reveal internal concerns about delivery. A March report flagged the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s NZBN credential timeframes as “ambitious”. By April, delivery had been reset to September, a delay Government Digital Delivery Agency officials called “disappointing”.

MBIE’s head of digital business enablement, Daryl Pettitt, now expects the NZBN credential to go live in October. Westpac would be the only organisation accepting it during the first phase.

Digital driver licences are expected in the second half of 2027. A November 2025 ministerial update had identified a potential rollout by the end of 2026.

An NZTA spokesman denied there had been a delay, saying no public delivery date had been announced. The licence would be available through the Govt.nz app, “as well as other commonly used digital wallets”, he said.

Other disclosed projects include tax credentials, occupational licences, qualifications, a digital SuperGold Card and firearms licences. A digital Visa ID project was paused under ministerial direction in July.

The Govt.nz wallet, developed by MATTR, has been live since April. Westpac is currently its only credential issuer, accredited on September 16.

The app has been allocated $2.7 million for operating costs and another $2 million to develop new capabilities this financial year.

Credentials are digitally signed proofs, such as licences or qualifications. The four-million target counts credentials rather than individual people.

Read more at BusinessDesk (paywalled)

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