News in Brief

Mexico Mandates Biometric Digital Identity Through CURP Reform

Mexico has formally enacted legislation making the biometric-based Unique Population Registry Code (Clave Única de Registro de Población – CURP) mandatory for all citizens, transforming what was once an optional identifier into the country’s central digital identity instrument. The reform, recently finalised by decree, establishes the CURP as a single, interoperable identity credential containing both demographic and biometric data.

The new CURP will incorporate a photograph, fingerprints, iris data, and a QR code containing biometric identifiers, enabling secure authentication across government and private-sector services. The Ministry of the Interior and the newly mandated Digital Transformation Agency must establish a Unified Identity Platform (UIP) within 90 days of the decree. Public and private institutions will be required to update systems to recognise and validate the enhanced CURP.