Regional Overview Regional Overview Table1 Country Primary legal identity document across Asia Pacific Country Primary legal identity document Other key identity documents commonly used to prove identity/citizenship SUB REGION - CENTRAL ASIA Kazakhstan National ID card Birth certificate; passport; residence permit; stateless person certificate (where applicable) Kyrgyzstan National ID card/Internal passport Birth certificate; passport; residence permit; stateless person certificate Tajikistan Internal passport Birth certificate; passport; residence permit; stateless person certificate / permit Turkmenistan Internal passport Birth certificate; passport; stateless person certificate Uzbekistan National ID card/Passport Birth certificate; passport; stateless permanent resident ID card SUB REGION - EAST ASIA China Resident identity card Household registration booklet (hukou); passport; birth certificate (supporting) Hong Kong Hong Kong identity card Passport (HKSAR or BN(O)); birth certificate; Re-entry Permit Japan My Number Card / residence card plus family register Family register (koseki); passport; health insurance card; driver’s license National ID card Birth certificate; passport; residence permit Mongolia North Korea Resident ID card Family registration record; travel document (where applicable) South Korea Resident registration card Resident registration; passport; driver’s licence; foreigner registration card (for non-citizens) Taiwan National ID card (for nationals with household registration) Household registration; Alien Resident Certificate; passport; birth certificate Primary legal identity document Other key identity documents commonly used to prove identity/citizenship SUB REGION - SOUTH ASIA Afghanistan Tazkira (and e-Tazkira) Birth certificate; passport; refugee or stateless documentation where applicable Bangladesh National ID card (NID) Birth certificate; passport; voter list entry Bhutan Citizenship identity card Birth certificate; National Digital Identity credentials; passport India No single primary ID; plural documents used Birth certificate; Aadhaar number; voter ID; passport; ration card; PAN; driving licence Maldives National ID card Birth certificate; passport; work permit card (for migrants) Nepal Citizenship certificate (primary) Birth certificate; voter ID; passport; alternative documents accepted for citizenship application Pakistan Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) Birth certificate; passport; family registration certificate; Smart NICOP for overseas Pakistanis Sri Lanka National identity card Birth certificate; passport; driving license SUB REGION - SOUTH EAST ASIA Brunei Smart identity card (Brunei Darussalam IC) Birth certificate; passport Cambodia National ID card Birth certificate; family book; passport Indonesia National identity card (KTP) Family card (KK); birth certificate; passport Laos National ID card Family book; birth certificate; passport Malaysia MyKad (citizen ID card) Birth certificate; passport; MyPR / MyKAS for non-citizens Myanmar NRC card / new UID smart card Birth certificate; household registration; citizenship scrutiny cards Philippines PhilID (PhilSys) plus tradi- Birth certificate; passport; voter’s ID; driver’s license tional IDs Singapore NRIC Birth certificate; passport; FIN card for non-residents Thailand Thai national ID card House registration book; birth certificate; pink card for some non-citizens Timor-Leste National identity card (when fully rolled out) Birth certificate; voter ID; passport Vietnam Citizen ID card Household registration books (being phased out); birth certificate; passport 24 25 STATELESSNESS ENCYCLOPEDIA ASIA PACIFIC THIRD EDITION - REGIONAL OVERVIEW REPORT 2026