The Maldives are known for their nice beaches and wonderful holiday resorts on the many islands. Now the Maldives have also become a place of innovation. Maldives Immigration has just introduced a new, very innovative type of ID card: It can be used for payments, but also serves as a national ID card, as a drivers license as well as a health card and insurance card.

Last, but not least, it’s also used as a passport for easy travelling. This is why the new card is called “Passport Card.” The innovative card and system was developed by Maldives Immigration, together with Dermalog from Germany as the technology provider.

If you like this, subscribe here for more stories that Inspire The Future.

Citizens of the Maldives don’t need to carry so many cards around anymore. The famous islands are becoming a country where one single card serves for everything which matters, starting from payment up do driving, health, insurance, travelling and many more different applications. The new card is a so called “multi-purpose-card” which is very special in many ways:

Today most bank cards have a durability of maximum three years. The new card of the Maldives is the world’s first bank card which is made of Polycarbonate material that can last up to 10 years. Furthermore it contains a unique combination of a called dual-interface chip for contactless and contact card reading. The new card is certified by the Bank of Maldives as well as by MasterCard, allowing the card to be used internationally like any other MasterCard.

What makes the cards more secure than any other payment card are the additional passport security features, which no bank card provides. This additional features allow the Maldives “Passport Card” to be used like a regular passport and works already at all borders of the Maldives, including the new electronic gates. The “Passport Card” is fully confirming to all international standards of a modern passport. The cards also contain 10 fingerprints for secure verification.

But the innovative Maldives card can also be used as a driver’s license, health card or insurance card. The Controller General of Maldives Immigration, Mohamed Anwar says: “The door is open for many other government departments and private companies to use our new Passport Card in future.”

In future the Maldives might not only be known for of it’s wonderful beaches, but also as a place where the future already starts today.

If you like this, subscribe here for more stories that Inspire The Future.