[vc_row columns=”1″][vc_column link=”%7B%22url%22%3A%22%22%7D”][vc_column_text]
In February 2026, the Office for Digital Identities and Attributes published findings from a stakeholder survey exploring the international use of digital credentials. The message was clear: cross-border interoperability is no longer a “nice to have”, it’s becoming essential infrastructure.
OfDIA’s aim is to enable cross-border digital verification in a way that protects privacy, supports security, and works for a broad set of users, while acknowledging that countries are taking different approaches, which creates fragmentation and complexity.
But what does that really mean?
In a scenario where your organisation is onboarding a new hire who lives overseas, or you’re accepting a customer who needs to prove their identity for a regulated service. The information you need already exists, but it is locked inside a different country’s system. The friction is not “do we have a document”, it is “can we trust it quickly, safely, and in a way that stands up to local rules”.
That is the backdrop to the Office for Digital Identities and Attributes (OfDIA) stakeholder survey published in February 2026, which explores what it would take to use digital identities and credentials internationally.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column link=”%7B%22url%22%3A%22%22%7D”][us_separator link=”%7B%22url%22%3A%22%22%7D” show_line=”1″ thick=”2″ css=”%7B%22default%22%3A%7B%22height%22%3A%2250px%22%7D%7D”][vc_column_text]
What are digital credentials?
Digital credentials are verified digital versions of documents or attributes such as passports, driving licences, professional qualifications, or proof of age that can be stored and shared securely online. The point is not digitising a PDF, it is making the information verifiable and tamper-resistant. This is the logic behind standards such as W3C Verifiable Credentials.
They are central to:
- Remote onboarding in financial services
- Cross-border hiring
- International travel
- Higher education recognition
- Global e-commerce
As economies digitise, the ability to prove who you are across borders becomes a foundational requirement.
[/vc_column_text][us_separator link=”%7B%22url%22%3A%22%22%7D” show_line=”1″ thick=”2″ css=”%7B%22default%22%3A%7B%22height%22%3A%2250px%22%7D%7D”][vc_column_text]
Why cross-border capability is hard
Domestic digital identity systems are complex enough. When you extend them internationally, new layers of difficulty emerge:
- Different regulatory frameworks
- Varying technical standards
- Diverging privacy laws
- Conflicting trust frameworks
The UK’s survey shows strong industry interest in international operability, but also significant barriers.
This is part 1 of a mini series on the future of cross-border digital credentials. Click here to read part 2.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]