Independently checked and accredited

The Govt.nz app’s digital wallet is accredited by the New Zealand government’s Trust Framework Authority, under the Digital Identity Services Trust Framework Act 2023.

Accreditation involves an independent security evaluation and privacy assessment and requires ongoing compliance with the Framework’s rules.

The Trust Framework is an open system — any provider, government or private, can join, if they meet its security and privacy requirements. This means the same rules and protections apply no matter which accredited provider issues or checks your credential.

Your credentials stay on your device

Your digital credentials are stored on your device, in the Govt.nz app’s digital wallet that only you can access and control. They are not stored in the cloud, or in a government or company database.

This matters because there’s no central database of credentials for someone to break into. Your credentials stay encrypted, on your own device, under your control — even if your device is lost or stolen, no one can access them without your biometrics or PIN.

Selective disclosure is built in

When someone asks you to prove something about yourself, such as your name, your age, your address, you do not hand over your device or show the underlying document. The verification happens digitally, and you only share what’s actually being asked for.

For example, to prove you’re over 18, you can share just that fact — without revealing your full date of birth, address, or photo ID.

This is enforced by the Trust Framework’s rules, not left to individual providers to decide.

• The issuer is not contacted when you use your credential. Verification happens directly between your wallet and whoever’s checking — the organisation that issued your credential has no visibility into where or when you use it.
• You confirm every release. At each check, your wallet only shares what the request allows, and only after you approve it — never automatically.
• You can see your own activity. Your wallet keeps an audit log on your device, encrypted with your device’s own keys, so you can check where your credential has been used. Providers and issuers cannot see this log.

How it stays secure

Each credential is digitally signed by the issuer when it’s added to your wallet. That signature can be mathematically checked by any verifier, using a public key the issuer publishes openly — without needing to contact the issuer directly.

Your device protects this using a secure element — dedicated hardware built into your device. This is the same technology that protects banking apps and services like Apple Pay.

Your device key never leaves this hardware. When your device confirms your identity to a verifier, it’s done by tamper-resistant hardware — not software that could be altered.

Reducing the risk of privacy breaches

Verification happens digitally and only the relevant details are shared. Organisations no longer need to photograph, photocopy or ask you to e-mail your passport or driver licence and store it themselves.

This means less of your personal information sitting in databases you do not control — making information-sharing safer and reducing the risk of privacy breaches.

If you lose your device

Your credentials are encrypted and inaccessible without your biometrics or PIN. If needed, you can re-establish your credentials directly with the issuer.

Adding credentials to the wallet

Any New Zealand government agency or organisation that issues digital credentials accredited under the Digital Identify Services Trust Framework (DISTF) can add their credential into the Govt.nz app wallet.

Trust Framework for Digital Identity — Public Service Commission | Te Kawa Mataaho

Read how to get access to our test environment and add a digital credential into our wallet on GitHub. There is no fee to use the wallet.

The Govt.nz app wallet — GitHub