Ukraine issued more than 2.2 million biometric documents in first half of 2026
Government issuance of biometric passports and ID cards exceeds 2.2 million in early 2026, while commercial adoption remains limited by wartime economic pressures.
Key figures
| Biometric documents issued in first half of 2026 | more than 2.2 million |
|---|---|
| National ID cards and international passports issued in 2025 | approximately 3.87 million |
| People who activated Diia.Signature by end of 2025 | 13 million |
| Diia.Signature usage by end of 2025 | more than 122 million times |
| Diia.Signature usage by October 2024 | 48 million times |
Timeline
- Diia.Signature service used 48 million times
- Visa launched Visa Payment Passkey in Ukraine
- 13 million people activated Diia.Signature
- Visa integrated technology with PSP Platon
- Diia.Signature activation required NFC chip reading and facial verification
- Visa integrated technology with RozetkaPay
Ukraine issued more than 2.2 million biometric international passports and national ID cards in the first half of 2026 [1].
The surge in biometric document issuance supports a wider push toward digital identity, though industry leaders disagree on whether the commercial market can keep pace with government adoption during the ongoing war [1].
Accelerating Issuance of Biometric Identity Documents
Government adoption of biometric hardware has remained consistent despite economic pressures and infrastructure damage [1]. According to Oleksandr Sokolov, CEO of market research firm Pro-Consulting, approximately 3.87 million national ID cards and international passports were issued in 2025 [1].
This trend continued into 2026, with more than 2.2 million such documents issued in the first six months of the year [1]. These biometric documents are among the most widespread applications of biometric technologies in the public sector [1].
The Shift Toward Biometric-Linked Digital Signatures
Physical biometric documents are now required to activate Diia.Signature [1]. Since February 2026, activating Diia.Signature has required reading the NFC chip in a biometric passport or ID card, alongside facial verification and a six-digit PIN [1].
The scale of this digital shift is reflected in usage data. By the end of 2025, 13 million people had activated Diia.Signature, and the service was used more than 122 million times [1]. According to figures from Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation, the service had been used more than 48 million times by October 2024 [1].
According to Oleksandr Iefremov, CEO of GovTech company Kitsoft, this system allows pensioners living abroad or in temporarily occupied territories to verify their identities remotely for the Pension Fund [1].
Commercial Integration and Daily Use Cases
Fingerprint and facial recognition dominate Ukraine's biometrics market, according to Eugene Rimek, reflecting the availability of relatively affordable solutions and smartphone-based authentication [1]. Ukrainian banks currently use these modalities to secure access to mobile banking applications [1].
Payment systems have also integrated biometric authentication. Visa launched "Visa Payment Passkey" in Ukraine in April 2025 to enable payment authorization via fingerprints or facial recognition [1]. Visa later integrated this technology with PSP Platon in January 2026 and RozetkaPay in April 2026 [1].
Despite these developments, Eugene Rimek, CEO of Biosol, says the most widespread current application of biometric identification in Ukraine is for premises access control [1]. Rimek claims that biometrics remain "it is still very underutilized for personal identification in other contexts" [1].
Regulatory Gaps and Wartime Constraints
The trajectory of the market is a point of contention among industry executives [1]. Rimek argues that demand has grown more slowly than expected and that large-scale breakthroughs are unlikely until the war ends, citing damage to production facilities and reduced business spending [1].
In contrast, Sokolov expects a positive trend, stating, "The digital identification and financial services segment is likely to remain the most dynamic" [1].
Legal frameworks also lag behind technical deployment. Iefremov says Ukraine requires clearer regulation regarding the legal grounds for processing biometric data, retention periods, and independent oversight [1]. He noted these changes are also linked to Ukraine’s efforts to align its legislation with European Union requirements [1].
What we don't know
- What EU requirements is Ukraine aligning its biometric legislation with? [1]
- What is the exact percentage of biometric adoption in the commercial sector compared to the public sector?
- Beyond fingerprint and facial recognition, are any other biometric modalities being piloted in Ukrainian financial or government sectors?
Sources
- [1] Ukraine’s biometrics market grows unevenly as digital identity adoption expands — biometricupdate.com, Nov 8, 2026