Answers about your identity

Bhutan NDI validates the time when the request for Foundational ID has been submitted. Therefore, it is important to have the time accurately set on your smartphone device. Users are advised to switch their Time feature to "automatic" under the phone's Settings. After users set their device time to "automatic", they will have to reinstall the app and complete the onboarding process.

Bhutan NDI is a mobile wallet that holds your personal credentials which can be used to prove your identity and share your credentials while accessing government and business services online. These credentials include, but are not limited to, Foundational Identities such as name, citizenship ID, household and Functional Identities such as Thram numbers, bank account details, education certificates and more.

All Bhutanese nationals as well as residents and visitors of Bhutan who have submitted their personal information and biometrics to either Department of Civil Registration and Census (DCRC) or Department of Immigration (DoI) are eligible to register on and use the Bhutan NDI wallet.

You need to submit your basic information available on your CID card/passport/work permit like name, date of birth, citizenship ID, permanent address, and biometrics to successfully register on Bhutan NDI.

After downloading the Bhutan NDI app from App Store/Google Play, submit your personal details to authenticate yourself. Make sure that all the information you submit during onboarding is accurate and match the details maintained by the Royal Government of Bhutan (RGOB). Once completed, your Foundational ID will be automatically issued to you by the Department of Civil Registration and Census (Bhutanese national) or Department of Immigration (foreign nationals).

Ensure that all the information you submit is accurate and up to date and retry the onboarding process. If you continue to face a problem, contact the toll-free NDI support helpline at 1199.

You can proceed with the Face ID authentication only if you have submitted your biometrics to RGOB. If you have submitted your biometrics, follow the instruction to complete the liveness detection test by moving your face from side-to-side and top-to-bottom during Face ID authentication. If you continue to face a problem, contact toll-free NDI support helpline at 1199.

Your Foundational ID can be found under the Credentials tab (on the bottom navigation bar). You will be notified that you have been issued a Foundational ID under Your Recent History. If you do not receive the notification and cannot find your Foundational ID under Credentials, refresh your app. If you continue to face a problem, contact toll-free NDI support helpline at 1199.

Reinitiate your onboarding process in case of any error/mismatch in information. If you continue to receive the error message, contact toll-free NDI support helpline at 1199 to troubleshoot. Note: once issued, your Foundational ID cannot be edited.

Registration and access to the Bhutan NDI wallet necessitates the update of biometrics for verification and authentication purposes and serves as a vital security measure put in place in the Bhutan NDI ecosystem. Without completing the biometric authentication process, you won't be able to register or access the services of Bhutan NDI.

No, registration on Bhutan NDI is not mandatory for all Bhutanese citizens or residents. However, the service ensures easy and seamless access to government and business services, making registration and usage highly beneficial for users.

If you insert the wrong pin three times, you will see the “Forgot Pin” button. You can reset your pin by clicking on that “Forgot Pin” button. Note: you will have to complete biometric facial authentication to reset your pin.

Yes, you can go to Menu>Settings>Reset Pin and set a new pin. Please note that you will have to enter your current pin to set a new pin.

Bhutan NDI comes with backup and recovery options that allow users to backup their wallet. You can either opt to backup your wallet during the initial onboarding process or choose to backup at a later point by visiting the More>Settings>Backup on your Bhutan NDI wallet. Backup of your wallet will allow you to restore your credentials on a new device.

Bhutan NDI comes with backup and recovery options that allow users to backup their wallet in case of loss of device. You can either opt to backup your wallet during the initial onboarding process or choose to backup at a later point by visiting More>Settings>Backup on your Bhutan NDI wallet. Backup of your wallet will allow you to restore your credentials on a new device.

We recommend you to backup your Bhutan NDI wallet each time you have been issued a new credential or when you have updated any of your personal details. If you you have not opted for backup during the initial onboarding, you will also see the reminder at the top banner prompting you to backup your wallet. You will get the same reminder each time a new connection has been established or a new credential has been issued. You can also choose to automatically backup your wallet by enabling the feature under More>Settings>Automatic Backup.

Yes, you can click on More>Settings to update/change the settings of your wallet backup.

Verified credentials (VC) are digital credentials that enable users to easily, safely, and privately prove your identities/information related to yourself. For credentials to be verifiable, the verifier (the one requesting your proofs/information) must be able to determine: Who issued the credential, It has not been tampered with, It is not expired/revoked/suspended.

All verified issuers that have integrated with Bhutan NDI can issue you credentials related to their respective services.

Verification of credentials is conducted by authorized parties listed as a verifier on the Bhutan NDI Trust Registry.

Your verified credentials/personal information is stored only on your personal Bhutan NDI wallet. Those entities/individuals with whom you have explicitly consented/approved to share your credentials through a proof request will be able to access your personal information on a need-to-know basis.

Yes. With the passage of the National Digital Identity Act 2023, verified credentials stored in your Bhutan NDI wallet can be used as an alternative to physical identity documents for digital transactions and interactions with government and business service providers.

Validity of all verified credentials (VC) on Bhutan NDI will be determined by the issuer of the credential. For example, your driver’s license credentials will expire with the expiry of your driver’s license validity period, after which your VC will be revoked. You will have to request the issuer to issue you a new/updated VC when any of your VC has been revoked.

Revoked credentials are verified credentials that are no longer valid and cannot be reinstated. Such credentials will have to be reissued by the issuer.

Suspended credentials are verified credentials that have been suspended for a limited period and will be reinstated by the issuer after the suspension period/criteria lapses.

When any of your verified credential (VC) expires, the issuer will revoke/suspend your VC. You can request the issuer of the VC to reissue a new/updated VC into your wallet. If your VC has been suspended, you will have to wait for the suspension period/criteria to lapse.

No. Currently, Bhutan NDI has been rolled out only for connection and interaction with domestic government and business service providers. However, Bhutan NDI has been designed and developed to meet the global web standard mandated by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and biometric algorithm standards approved by National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST). This makes Bhutan NDI compatible with international protocols and can be used across different platforms and organizations, opening up the possibility of interoperability and portability across borders and systems in the future.

Self Attested Credentials are information/proofs about yourself that you claim to be true but have not been issued by a verified authority. For e.g., your current address, mobile number, and allergy details.

Currently, you can add your one or more of the following as self attested credentials: Current addresses Mobile numbers Allergy details

You can add your self attested credentials by visiting Menu>Self Attested Credential and select the credential type from the drop down. Fill in the details of the credential you want to create and save. The self attested credential will then reflect under Credentials on your Bhutan NDI wallet. You can also select the heart icon on the digital ID card to bring the self attested credential to the home screen.

Issuers are the source of credentials. Every credential has an issuer. Most issuers are organizations such as government agencies (passports, driver’s license), financial institutions (credit cards, bank account details), universities (degrees, transcripts), corporations (employment credentials), NGOs (membership cards) etc.

A digital and secure peer-to-peer channel is used to connect the issuer of the verified credential/ID, the holder of the ID, and the verifier of the ID. The issuer, holder, and verifier then can securely communicate through the established “connection.”

If information pertaining to your Foundational ID or your permanent address has changed, you can visit the Department of Civil Registration and Census (DCRC) and update your personal details. This updated information will then be automatically updated and reflected in your Bhutan NDI wallet.

If information pertaining to your Foundational ID or your permanent address has changed, you can visit the Department of Civil Registration and Census (Bhutanese nationals) or Department of Immigration (foreign nationals) and update your personal details. After the concerned department has updated your personal information, you will have to reinitiate the onboarding for receive the updated Foundational ID/permanent address details in your wallet.

If any of your verified credential (VC) issued by business or government service providers has changed, please contact the concerned issuer to issue the updated VC to your Bhutan NDI wallet. Please note that as a responsible national digital identity holder, it is your responsibility to make sure that all your VCs are up to date and accurate.

It's recommended to review and update your Bhutan NDI profile whenever there are changes to your personal information, such as a change in address or contact, self-attested details, or other information issued to you by business service providers. Keeping your information up-to-date ensures seamless transactions.

No, use of Bhutan NDI wallet is not mandatory for any Bhutanese citizens or residents. However, the service ensures easy and seamless access to government and business services, making registration and usage highly beneficial for users.

You can use the Bhutan NDI app to login to the citizenship portal to access government-to-citizen services and certain business services. It must be noted that the Bhutan NDI features and services are constantly being updated. Therefore, you can use the wallet to access banking, education, health, insurance, telecommunication, transportation, and utility services online in the future with the on-going updates being made to the Bhutan NDI wallet. We recommend you follow Bhutan NDI’s social media channels to stay informed about the updates made to the Bhutan NDI wallet.

No, you cannot use the Bhutan NDI wallet on more than one device at a time. Bhutan NDI allows only single onboarding to ensure highest level of security for users.

Currently, Bhutan NDI wallet is available only on smartphones and tablets enabled by iOS/Android systems. However, with the upcoming features scheduled for later phases of product development, Bhutan NDI will be made available on certain feature phones as well as printed cards enabled by certain type of cryptographically enabled dense QR code. We recommend you follow Bhutan NDI’s social media channels to stay informed about the updates made to the Bhutan NDI wallet.

Bhutan NDI app requires active internet connection for seamless user experience.

No, you cannot use Bhutan NDI on a web app through a browser. Currently, the wallet is available only on an iOS/Android mobile device.

Bhutan NDI enables trusted interactions between individual users, government authorities, service providers, and business enterprises. The wallet can be used for sharing identity credentials to authenticate yourself digitally and access services and platforms online.

No, there are no fees associated with registration or use of Bhutan NDI. The Bhutan NDI service is provided to citizens and residents free of charge, ensuring accessibility and inclusion for all individuals. Bhutan NDI is designed to simplify and enhance your interactions with government and business services without any financial burden.

Bhutan NDI enables trusted interactions between individual users, government authorities, service providers, and business enterprises. The wallet can be used for sharing identity credentials to authenticate yourself digitally and access services online.

Bhutan NDI brings several advantages over paper-based identity cards, including greater convenience with easy access to platforms and services online, eliminating the need for in-person office visits. Moreover, it enhances security by minimizing reliance on physical documents that are susceptible to loss or forgery. Additionally, the system empowers you with control over your information, enabling you to selectively share only the required personal details when necessary.

Bhutan NDI is a highly secure application. User’s personal data are stored in your personal device and not on cloud or third-party systems. This significantly reduces the threat to loss of personal data. Consent is core to the product, thus, providing you with greater control over your personal information than ever before. Additionally, Bhutan NDI has been developed with cutting-edge technology that uses blockchain for verification of user’s data, making the platform highly secure and trustable. Your Bhutan NDI wallet is also secured with numeric pin and biometrics which helps restrict unauthorized party to access your wallet.

All personal identity information will be stored on your personal mobile device and therefore you will have access to it at all times.