Government launches 10 new digital Civil Registry services

The creation of online services for the benefit of citizens is a high priority for the government, said Interior Minister Konstantinos Ioannou on Thursday during a joint press conference with Deputy Minister of Research Nicodemos Damianos. The conference was held to present ten new digital services developed by the Civil Registry Directorate. These services, created by the specialised Digital Services Factory team of the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, are available from today through the online portal Gov.cy.

In his speech, the Minister of Interior stated that the digital transition of the Civil Registry is part of the broader policy of the Christodoulides government to digitise services, aiming to better serve citizens and combat bureaucracy.

He announced that ten services related to the population archive are now available online. These include the reissue of birth and death certificates, consular birth and death certificates, applications for the issuance or renewal of identity cards and passports for adults, the issuance of permanent residence certificates, and proofs of origin for students.

Mr Ioannou highlighted that citizens can now access a list of their issued certificates and verify their validity through the relevant services.

He noted that the use of digital services allows Cypriot citizens, whether in Cyprus or abroad, to apply for, issue, and receive certificates online. This reduces the need for in-person visits, saving time and administrative costs while allowing provincial administrations and service centres to better allocate their resources.

Except for identity card and passport renewals, which require biometric data collection at service points, all other processes can be completed online. Initially, these digital services are available in Greek, with plans to offer them in English soon.

"The first set of services offered digitally today is just the beginning of the digitisation process for civil registry services. Our goal, with the help of the Deputy Ministry of Research, is to fully digitalise the civil registry, reducing service times, creating a modern, citizen-friendly state, and contributing to reducing our environmental footprint," he stated.

Mr Ioannou thanked the Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, and the Civil Registry Directorate officials for their collaboration in successfully implementing this significant project.

"The gradual digital transformation of our country is a priority of President Christodoulides' governance programme. The creation of online services for the benefit of citizens is high on the government's agenda, and we are proceeding with the gradual digitisation of the entire range of state services," concluded Mr Ioannou.

Deputy Minister Damianos emphasised that the cooperation between ministries and deputy ministries has been crucial in achieving the current progress, unlike in the past. He highlighted that this initiative is part of the "Digital Citizen" Programme, which includes various actions for digitising citizen services and e-governance.

He added that today's presentation follows recent services such as the certificate of conscription status, the "where and what I vote" service, registration on electoral lists, and participation in the National Solidarity Fund.

The services adhere to best practices and modern standards, ensuring immediacy, simplicity, and accessibility for citizens. They are implemented using agile methodologies, integrating feedback from users to optimise the final product and reduce the risk of unacceptable outcomes.

Damianos noted that the secure, centralised identification of citizens ensures personalised service and efficient processing of physical document requests. Another service involves updating citizen data based on a centralised registry, ensuring accurate information for each individual.

He mentioned the introduction of a unique verification number for documents issued through these services, allowing public officials to verify documents without needing to print them. Electronic statistics and user feedback mechanisms will also be available to assess service satisfaction.

The Deputy Minister for Research concluded by announcing that the new government portal, Gov.cy, would soon host all the new and existing services, even those not fully digitised. Additionally, the "Digital Citizen" application will be launched within the year, enabling digital access to documents and further enhancing their usability.

The event concluded with a presentation by an officer of the Civil Registry Directorate on the application procedure for issuing birth certificates and identity cards.