The Department of Internal Affairs

Te Tari Taiwhenua | Department of Internal Affairs

Building a safe, prosperous and respected nation



 

Regulatory system information: Identity and Passports

Description of the regulatory system

System objectives/purposes

The Identity and Passports regulatory system aims to:

  • facilitate international travel and border controls
  • provide reliable and authoritative source of identity information for assertion and/or confirmation of a person's identity 
  • facilitate secure online interactions between individuals and participating agencies and provide for verification of a digital identity which the Department operates, as well as supporting the exchange of other sets of data 
  • enable organisations to quickly confirm the accuracy and validity of the Department’s identity information electronically in a privacy-protective manner 
  • allow authorised government agencies to electronically submit identity information for matching against official databases, including in real-time if required. 

Key statutes

Key regulations

Brief description of what the system does

Passports

  • Issue passports and travel documents to enable New Zealand citizens to travel overseas
  • Uphold New Zealand's reputation in a global context by providing reliable and authoritative identity information that enables New Zealanders to interact easily with governments 
  • Ensuring the robustness of our identity verification and security checks so that people who are not entitled to a passport do not obtain one
  • Fulfils international obligations and security standards for passports and other travel documents set by the International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO) 

 RealMe 

  • Makes it easier for people to access and use online services offered by both government and the private sector. The service has been created to build trust and confidence by adhering to New Zealand Government security, identity and privacy legislation.

Confirmation Service

  • Confirmation Service provides an online, consent-based, real-time transactional service for confirming identity information against the Department’s databases. The service is delivered through trusted intermediary organisations, which have passed rigorous security and risk management review 

 Retrieval Service 

  • To be deployed in 2019
  • An agency (currently only NZ Police) will input basic identity information about an individual and the service will return additional information about the individual or possible like matches, from multiple sources. 
  • The Department of Internal Affairs (the Department) has policy and delivery responsibilities under the Identity and Passports regulatory system.
  • RealMe participating agencies
  • Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment, New Zealand Security Intelligence

Agencies involved in the Identity and Passports regulatory system

Service, Inland Revenue, Ministry of Justice, New Zealand Police - to ensure rules around issuance, refusal and cancellation of New Zealand passports are fit for purpose and provide authoritative identity data for information sharing

  • The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
  • Other Departmental systems (Births Deaths and Marriages, Citizenship)
  • International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO)
  • Five Nations Passport Group
  • Border agencies, Justice sector, Education sector
  • Ministry of Social Development and Inland Revenue to provide information to support their regulatory compliance and enforcement
  • Office of the Privacy Commissioner
  • NZ Post – for taking RealMe photos to an agreed standard

Regulated parties and non-government stakeholders

  • All New Zealand citizens that wish to obtain a passport for travel and identification purposes.
  • Overseas Border Authorities
  • Customers – all New Zealand Citizens, people wanting to interact with New Zealand Government and private sector organisations online
  • Organisations needing to comply with Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act
  • Organisations approved to use the Confirmation Service (currently 473)

Engagement between system agencies and regulated parties

  • Extensive engagement around the future of Digital Identity
  • We provide information via our websites - Passports and RealMe
  • We provide information via Forms and brochures
  • Engagement via Business and Market Development team
  • KiwisCount survey
  • RealMe customer survey and other customer insights channels.
  • We provide information and receive feedback via @nzpassports twitter

Fitness-for-purpose assessment

Reviews/assessments of the Identity and Passports regulatory system

The most recent significant review of the Identity and Passports regulatory system was completed in 2005. This was limited to Passports, although some provisions of the Passport Act in relation to validity period and National Security were changed in 2015 and 2017respectively

The following agencies and stakeholders were involved:

  • New Zealand Border Agencies
  • Department of Prime minister and Cabinet
  • New Zealand Security Agencies
  • MFAT

No new assessment is currently planned.

Identity Information Confirmation Act 2012 has not undergone any material regulatory review.

Electronic Identity Verification Act 2012 has not undergone any material regulatory review.

Cabinet has approved a review of government’s role in digital identity for completion in 2021. https://www.digital.govt.nz/standards-and-guidance/identity/digital-identity/digital-identity-transition-programme/

Review/assessment findings

Effectiveness

The extent to which the system delivers the intended outcomes and impacts

The Passport Service upholds New Zealand's reputation in a global context by providing reliable and authoritative identity information that enables New Zealanders to interact easily with governments (domestic and international); to ensure the robustness of our identity verification and security checks so that New Zealand citizens who are entitled to a passport have their identity properly verified before it is issued; people who are not entitled to a passport do not obtain one; and to fulfil international obligations and security standards for passports and other travel documents set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

Passport pricing is a fully user funded model using a memo account to smooth cost pressures and demand changes. Reviews of pricing are complex and of interest to our wider authorising environment. Updated pricing came into force in March 2019 with a provisional increase pencilled in for CPI changes each three-year period.

Passports operate under a number of inter-linked legacy systems. The Department is undertaking a full transformation programme of its life events products (including passports) as part of its Te Ara Manaaki programme. This will take a citizen centred, non-product review of our processes and platforms. Legislative and regulatory reform may be initiated by this transformation programme.

Sharing of personal information between departments in support of citizens' life journeys is seen as important including sharing passport identity information for use in identity verification for the Justice sector. We are currently working with Police to enhance the Retrieval Service to meet their needs.

RealMe

RealMe provides a digital identity platform, for a similar purpose as the Passport Service, but in a digital context. Agencies need assurance that online interactions occur with the correct person, and individuals need a way to verify and authenticate their online identity. A digital identity platform provides the foundation for this to occur in a safe manner so that agencies and customers have secure online interactions. The rate of fraud on RealMe issuance is very low and there are effective mechanisms in place if people do abuse RealMe.

Confirmation Service & Retrieval Service

The Department's Confirmation Service allows organisations to electronically check identity information against the Department's identity databases to quickly confirm the accuracy and validity of identity information in a privacy-protective manner. This contributes to the prevention of identity crime and reduces risk and business costs.

The Retrieval Service allows authorised government agencies to electronically submit identity information for matching against official databases, including in real-time if required.

Efficiency

The extent to which the system minimizes unintended consequences and undue costs and burdens

Passports

The New Zealand Passport is well respected internationally and regarded as one of the most powerful passports in the world facilitating visa-free access to a large number of countries. This is partly due to the integrity and robustness of our identity verification and security checks. If our system was less robust it is likely NZ travellers would require more visas, thus incurring visa application costs.

Our level of detected fraud is world-leading.

The utility savings of the online application service, including the uploading of non-professional photos saves applicants time and money. Passports are issued in an efficient manner and there are extremely low levels of fraud or regulatory avoidance.

RealMe

Digital identity is the key foundational element on which the government's policy of digital service transformation will be successfully delivered. It is increasingly important in the context of the Government’s strategic priorities, major agency transformation programmes, privacy and security settings, initiatives to ensure better information sharing between agencies and consideration of service provision by the private sector and non-government organisations.

RealMe is a relatively new product and there has been on-going development including improvements to the online application process and the integration of new services. Uptake of the RealMe service continues to increase steadily. RealMe is operating in a new space, so it is difficult to make predictions, but robust analysis of the service has been undertaken by four independent external assessors.

Confirmation Service & Retrieval Service

The Confirmation Service allows approved organisations to electronically check certain identity information, which helps to prevent identity-related crimes and assists organisations to provide products and services more efficiently.

The Retrieval Service reduces the risk of identity crime, reduces overall business costs by reducing reliance on manual checking processes and adoption of a more reliable and robust common ICT capability, and improves data quality and business services.

Durability and resilience

How well the system copes with variation, change and pressures

Passports

Regular engagement with other passport services through the Passport Six group facilitates the sharing of best practices and the discussion of innovations related to the development of passport policies, products and practices.

Passport operational procedures and processes evolve to keep pace with changing context and legislation. This can be seen through the transition from the five to ten-year validity period, and the development of more online services.

The security of the application process, issuance process and document security are constantly reviewed. Passports are also part of a wider law enforcement network. Passports also ensure systems and technology are kept up to date through regular intrusion testing, security monitoring, patching and maintenance, and the regular update of public keys.

Information sharing instruments that work across government will be a key enabler. At present, such sharing happens in piecemeal manner. There are frameworks in place to enable sharing, but these are occurring at a slow pace and may not be given priority by agencies. The Department is working on developing approved information sharing agreements as provided for in the Privacy Act 1993.

RealMe

Agency needs are understood but are not always able to be met. There is work to transition to a digital identity ecosystem.

The operating environment for digital identity is regularly assessed. Reviews were conducted to understand lower than forecast adoptions, customer service issues and fragmented investment approach across the system. This is what led to the proposal to transition to a marketplace. We are aware that there are rapid changes in customer demand and in the wider digital environment.

RealMe ensures systems and technology are kept up to date through regular intrusion testing, security monitoring, patching and maintenance.

Confirmation Service & Retrieval Service

Both services sit on the Data Access Platform which has high availability, robust security and is scalable to meet future demands.

Fairness and accountability

How well the system respects rights and delivers good process

Passports

The ready acceptance of the New Zealand passport by various international border authorities indicates that New Zealand citizens are being issued with a respected and trusted identity document.

Making a number of Passport services available online caters to the changing culture of the community, who wish to use online services, improves access to services, and reduces costs for all applicants, but particularly those based overseas. In addition, the production of child passports is subsidised. Policy and regulatory/operational functions both sit within the Department. The policy and regulatory/operational arms work closely together. Few concerns about passport documents or services are raised, other than concerns about fees, by members of the public. Regulators find few cases of passport fraud or misuse of the service by the public or from within the service itself.

Due to the work involved in recent years through the development and expansion of the online passport system, risks around maintaining the effectiveness of the regulation have been regularly considered and addressed where necessary.

RealMe

The Electronic Identity Verification Act sets out the provisions for issuance of a verified identity, which RealMe adheres to. RealMe is free to customers.

The Identity Verification Service is going through a growth phase, and risks around maintaining the effectiveness of the regulation have been regularly considered and addressed where necessary.

Confirmation Service & Retrieval Service

We are on track to meet the Statement of Service Performance for Data Access Platform Availability (which both services use).

Plans for regulatory and operational improvements

Key regulatory changes planned for 2019/20

There is nothing planned in the passport or identity space at this stage. However, the Digital Identity Transition Programme is undertaking a review of the wider regulatory framework for identity verification (both by Government and the private market).

Key service design and operational changes planned for 2019/20

  • Greater influence over other agencies to use available mechanisms to access and use our information more
  • Development of the Data Access Platform to enable other agencies to access and use our information more effectively
  • Continue to develop systems to keep a high level of service delivery standards
  • Te Ara Manaaki investment
  • United States of America Visa Waiver Programme review
  • Work on RealMe transition into digital ecosystem role
  • The Department will support and collaborate with the Ministry of Justice on its work on improving information-sharing arrangements
  • Enhancements to Retrieval Service to support New Zealand Police.
  • Expansion of online passport application services means more customers will benefit from the accessibility of an online channel
  • Cross agency border sector governance group
  • On-going forecasting and impact analysis
  • International engagement and benchmarking
  • On-going development and expansion of on-line services for passports
  • Prioritisation of funding/investment
  • Influence sector capability to access and use our information effectively
  • Facial Recognition replacement project
  • On-going operational improvement.
  • Influence sector capability to access and use our information effectively
  • Pasifika Strategy