Czechia to introduce electronic IDs in January 2024

For the time being, these will be only used inside the country and not for international travel

Following a law amendment by the Czech government, three weeks ago, which allowed the authorities to accept digital identification documents in the future, the country is getting to roll out its first e-IDs. Called eDoklady (eDocuments), these will be available in the form of a smartphone app, which will not require an internet connection to work.

The stated deadline for the introduction of electronic identification is January 2024, and it will serve as an intermediate step before the introduction of the EU Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI) by the European Union.

No more plastic cards

The introduction of digital documents was motivated by the fact that smartphones have now become a common object among the possessions of most citizens. Additionally, the argument goes that electronic identification will be more secure since plastic cards get lost or stolen often and that leads to identity theft crimes.

Ivan Bartos, Minister for Regional Development and Digitalisation, and Chairman of the Pirates Party, described eDocuments as a “standard mobile application” that can be easily downloaded, registered, and utilized.

Another advantage of the app will be the option to reveal only the required information to government services or commercial establishments. For example, when asked to verify one’s age in a store, citizens will be able to show this without having to share all other information about themselves, as is the case with plastic cards.

Security for the digital IDs will be enhanced through biometric authentication options, such as fingerprints or facial recognition, alongside the option to set a PIN for added protection. In the event of a lost or stolen phone, deactivation is easily achievable.

Plastic cards, at least in the short term, however, will not be phased out and both types of identification will coexist. What’s more, the eDocuments will not be used for international travel and will only serve their purpose within the Czech Republic.