The Electoral Tribunal establishes the creation and regulation of the digital ID and the digital wallet service.

Decree 43 of October 8th, 2024, published in the Electoral Tribunal Bulletin on Wednesday, October 9th, 2024, establishes the creation and regulation of the digital ID, as well as the digital wallet service, and provides the following:

• The introduction of a digital ID for Panamanians and permanent residents, which will serve as a secure means of identification access government and private services online. The digital ID will replicate, in essence, the information from the physical or printed-format documents issued by the Electoral Tribunal.

• The digital ID, will be optional and therefore not mandatory, and will not replace the physical version of the identity documents. It will have the same legal validity as the physical document issued by the Electoral Tribunal and must be accepted by all public entities and private companies that offer services online.

• The creation of a digital wallet for Panamanians and foreigners with permanent resident status, allowing secure storage of personal documents such as the digital ID, medical history, and resume.

  This wallet will be managed through a mobile application that will require security verification such as facial and biometric recognition for access. Users will need to download the app on their smartphones to access the digital ID and other documents.

• This decree will come into effect on October 10th, 2024.