Sovereign Decree on the Establishment of Verified Kaharagian Status and the Regulation of National Identity Verification

HAVING REGARD TO the “Privacy and Digital Conduct Policy” promulgated by Our Sovereign Decree No. 2025/0012 (Sovereign Decree on Software Use, Preference for Open-Source Solutions, and Secure Foreign Hosting of Kaharagian Personal and Official Data);

WHEREAS the integrity of nationality and the authenticity of identity are essential to the legitimacy of the Principality of Kaharagia and to the trust placed in its public records and instruments;

WHEREAS the lawful verification of national identity strengthens the administration of nationality, prevents misuse of documents, and upholds the Principality’s standing among the nations of the world;

WHEREAS respect for privacy, data protection, and digital sovereignty forms a constitutional principle of Kaharagian governance;

AND WHEREAS it is proper to establish a uniform, lawful, and technologically secure system of identity verification, thereby enhancing the reliability and dignity of all instruments issued in Our Name;

NOW, THEREFORE, WE, in Our Sovereign capacity and having duly considered the advice of Our counsel, do decree as follows:

Article I — Establishment of Status

1. The designation Verified Kaharagian is hereby established as an official status within the legal and digital framework of the Principality.

2. Verified Kaharagian status affirms that a person’s lawful identity and nationality have been authenticated through an authorised verification process.

3. Verified Kaharagian status may be held only by Kaharagian nationals. Foreign nationals, guests, and foreign recipients of Kaharagian honours are ineligible.

Article II — Definitions

1. For the purposes of this Decree:

(a) Verified Kaharagian means a Kaharagian national whose identity and nationality have been duly authenticated under this Decree.

(b) Expired Status means a verification that has lapsed following its validity term but has not been revoked.

(c) Verification Provider means an authorised third-party identity-verification service, presently Stripe Identity or any successor or additional provider designated under Article VIII.

(d) Verification Assistance Fund means the financial mechanism established under Article IX (5) to assist nationals unable to pay verification fees.

(e) Identity Document means any physical or digital credential issued by the Principality confirming a person’s nationality or identity.

(f) Offices Concerned refers collectively to the Office of Citizenship and Naturalisation, the Office of Digital Infrastructure, and the Office of Treasury and Finance.

(g) Privacy and Digital Conduct Policy means the policy promulgated by Sovereign Decree No. 2025/0012, titled “Sovereign Decree on Software Use, Preference for Open-Source Solutions, and Secure Foreign Hosting of Kaharagian Personal and Official Data”, together with any amendments or successor instruments duly issued.

Article III — Purpose and Legitimacy

1. The Verified Kaharagian framework ensures that every Kaharagian identity document is founded upon authenticated personal data of proven accuracy.

2. It enhances international confidence in the Principality’s nationality and identification system.

3. It fulfils the State’s duty to safeguard the dignity of nationality, prevent identity fraud, and uphold the highest standards of privacy and lawful governance.

Article IV — Mandatory Requirement

1. From 1 January 2026, no Kaharagian identity document shall be issued to any person who does not hold current Verified Kaharagian status.

2. From the same date, no person shall be appointed or elected to any public, administrative, or ceremonial office of Kaharagia without Verified Kaharagian status.

3. Exception: This restriction shall not apply to appointments to Kaharagian orders, honours, or decorations, which may continue to include foreign recipients.

4. Nationals lacking Verified Kaharagian status shall remain recognised as nationals; however, any nationality certificates or replacements issued to them shall be marked “Not for Identification Purposes.”

5. There shall be no penalty for failure to maintain current verification, but unverified nationals shall not be entitled to receive or renew identity documents or to access services requiring verified status.

6. Transitional Provision: Any national verified before 1 January 2026 shall be deemed Verified Kaharagian for the remainder of their three-year validity term.

Article V — Administrative Implementation

1. The Office of Citizenship and Naturalisation and the Office of Digital Infrastructure shall jointly prepare and implement a plan integrating verification into nationality-granting and identity-issuance procedures.

2. Integration shall commence 16 July 2026, coinciding with the sixteenth anniversary of the Founding of the Principality.

3. From that date, verification shall form an automatic and mandatory step within the National Identity Card application process.

4. Each successful applicant shall receive a Certificate of Verification, digital or physical, bearing the verification reference, validity term, and confirmation date.

5. Identity Cards issued on or after 1 January 2026 shall specify that the holder’s identity was verified at issuance, and such status shall be viewable through the official document-verification portal.

6. The Office of Digital Infrastructure shall issue technical regulations governing data exchange, provider integration, and retention procedures; such regulations shall be published in the Royal Kaharagian Gazette.

Article VI — Information Collected, Processing, and Storage

1. Verification shall rely on the full range of information provided by the authorised Verification Provider, which may include:

(a) details extracted from official documents;

(b) captured images or biometric comparisons;

(c) contact, address, and identification metadata;

(d) fraud- and risk-detection insights generated by the provider; and

(e) any operational data required to ensure technical integrity of the verification process.

2. Such data shall be processed in two categories:

(a) Core verification data, comprising the verification reference, provider, result, verification and expiry dates, and linkage to the national record — which shall be retained as part of the permanent verification register; and

(b) Ancillary verification data, comprising document details, images, biometric comparisons, risk or behavioural signals, and session or network metadata — which may be processed temporarily for audit or appeal but shall be purged or irreversibly anonymised after the lawful retention period established by regulation.

3. The Government of Kaharagia shall not obtain or retain raw biometric imagery or full provider payloads beyond the verified report and lawful audit interval.

4. All verification data shall be encrypted in transit and at rest, stored solely within secure servers located in the European Union or in another jurisdiction affording equivalent protection.

5. Access to verification data shall be restricted to duly authorised personnel of the Offices Concerned, subject to individual accountability and record of access.

6. The Government shall maintain a secure audit trail linking each verification to its corresponding nationality record for continuity and accountability.

Article VII — Validity, Expiry, and Loss of Status

1. Verified Kaharagian status shall remain valid for three (3) years from the date of successful verification, unless earlier revoked, expired, or terminated.

2. An Expired Status shall not be valid for identification or document issuance but shall remain recorded as lapsed, distinct from never having been verified.

3. Renewal shall occur automatically upon re-issuance of any Kaharagian identity document, or by separate application.

4. The Office of Digital Infrastructure shall notify holders at least sixty (60) days prior to expiry.

5. Individuals whose petitions for nationality are refused shall not be considered verified.

6. Persons who renounce or are deprived of nationality shall immediately and automatically lose Verified Kaharagian status.

7. Verification obtained through fraud, falsification, or concealment of material fact shall be void ab initio and subject to revocation and judicial proceedings.

8. Revocation decisions shall specify the grounds and the effective date of cancellation.

Article VIII — Authorised Verification Providers

1. Stripe Identity is designated as an authorised Verification Provider.

2. The Offices Concerned shall jointly evaluate and, where appropriate, accredit alternative providers located outside the jurisdiction of the United States, ensuring digital sovereignty and operational continuity.

3. Nationals in jurisdictions unsupported by Stripe shall have access to a supplementary verification mechanism employing secure and lawful methods.

4. All authorised providers shall comply with the Privacy and Digital Conduct Policy (as defined in Article II(g)) and any subsequent data-protection standards promulgated.

Article IX — Fees, Costs, and Financial Assistance

1. For all existing Kaharagian nationals verified for the first time, the Government shall bear the full processing cost.

2. For subsequent or new verifications, a processing fee of US $ 3.00 shall apply, representing the third-party provider cost.

3. The Office of Digital Infrastructure shall review the fee annually in consultation with the Office of Treasury and Finance and may recommend revisions to the Sovereign Chancellery.

4. Any revision to fees or schedules shall be published in the Royal Kaharagian Gazette.

5. A Verification Assistance Fund is hereby established by Sovereign Grant and supplemented by any surplus fee revenue. The Fund shall provide assistance to nationals unable to afford verification costs.

6. The Office of Treasury and Finance shall administer the Fund, maintain its accounts, and conduct an annual audit.

7. The audited summary of the Fund shall be published in the Royal Kaharagian Gazette not later than 1 April each year.

Article X — Data Protection and Oversight

1. All verification activities shall conform to the Privacy and Digital Conduct Policy (as defined in Article II(g)) and any later amendments.

2. Detailed data-retention and purge schedules for ancillary verification data shall be prescribed by regulation, subject to independent oversight.

3. Any change to data-collection scope, retention schedule, or provider arrangements shall be announced publicly in the Royal Kaharagian Gazette.

4. Oversight shall be exercised by the Data Protection Commissioner of Kaharagia, empowered to inspect, audit, and report annually to the Sovereign Chancellery and the Office of Treasury and Finance.

Article XI — Reporting, Review, and Appeal

1. The Offices Concerned shall submit a joint implementation report to the Sovereign Chancellery by 1 December 2025, detailing progress, provider evaluation, non-US alternatives, fee review, and the status of the Verification Assistance Fund.

2. Verified Kaharagian status may be revoked by the Office of Citizenship and Naturalisation for loss of nationality, fraud, or other lawful cause.

3. Any person whose verification is revoked may appeal within thirty (30) days to the Administrative Chamber of the Courts of Kaharagia, whose decision shall be final.

4. Supplementary regulations or procedural refinements may thereafter be issued by Ministerial Order or Chancellery Directive.

Article XII — International Alignment

1. The verification system established under this Decree shall conform, where practicable, to recognised international standards for electronic identity verification and data security, including ISO/IEC 30107 and GDPR-equivalent principles of lawfulness, purpose limitation, and data minimisation.

Article XIII — Interpretation

1. Any question of interpretation or application of this Decree shall be determined exclusively by the Courts of Kaharagia, whose judgments shall bind all administrative and executive authorities.

Article XIV — Entry into Force

1. This Decree shall enter into force immediately upon Our signature.

2. It shall be entered into the Royal Kaharagian Gazette and published accordingly.