The influential TIME magazine has published a list of Best Inventions, where it has identified 200 innovative solutions that change the world, make it better, more convenient, and safer. In the Apps & Software category, Ukrainian Diia is among the top 5.
What did TIME recognize Diia for?
The experts singled out Diia primarily for its online marriage registration option, as the process is simplified during the war, when it is difficult or impossible for many couples to physically meet and apply for marriage registration:
“Since September, Ukrainian citizens have been able to get married in a rather unusual way: through Diia, a nationwide app with more than 20 million users. The system is simple, if not unromantic: One partner proposes through the app, and a message is sent to the other. If the other party responds ‘yes’ within 14 days, they agree on a wedding date via video call, together with officials, on the Webex platform.”
According to TIME, this method was developed to help the many Ukrainian couples who were physically separated due to Russia’s invasion of the country to get on with their lives. More than 1.1 million Ukrainians made marriage proposals in the first month of using the technology, and 435 couples got married during that time.
“We received the award for Marriage Online, the world’s first fully digital marriage process,” says Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. – “This is a great recognition of our product. OpenAI GPT-4, Zoom, Duolingo, and now our Ukrainian Diia have received this award.”
Diia is a leading GovTech product
Today, Diia is one of the world’s best GovTech products, according to the Ministry of Digital Transformation. Ukraine was the first country in the world to equate electronic documents with paper ones and to introduce revolutionary services, such as online marriage or car re-registration.
The app has crossed 21 million unique users. Currently, 24 documents and more than 30 services are available in the Diia app. At the same time, the team is working on more than 100 services that simplify the lives of Ukrainians and change their interaction with the state.
For almost 5 years, Diia has evolved from an application with documents to a real state superapp. Thus, all the most popular documents are available in the application – from passports and diplomas to driver’s licenses and marriage certificates.
In Diia, Ukrainians can also go through the full cycle of marriage online, which is not available in any other country in the world; report damaged property after shelling using the eVodnovnennya program; buy or sell a car in a few clicks; join units that deal with UAVs, etc.
Together with Diia, Ukrainians open bank accounts, sign documents, pick up parcels at the post office, or buy theater tickets. In addition, businesses are actively integrating Diia to improve their user experience. Thus, more than 15 thousand government agencies and companies have already integrated Diia services.
The team of the Ministry of Digital Transformation is currently working on new revolutionary services that will soon be available in the app and on the Diia portal. In particular, the display of weapons permits, eAccounts, Diia.Signature for legal entities, multisharing, business services, and notification of communication problems.
