We are proud to announce that our company was awarded procurement, organised by Citizenship and Migration Affairs, of the electronic identification card (eID) personalisation solution delivery.

The issuance of eID cards in Latvia has been a very common topic of discussion for many years.  And finally, last year, a decision for the country’s national electronic identity program was made, and the Latvian Ministry of the Interior organised procurements of cards, a personalisation solution delivery, and information system technical infrastructure modernisation. The winners of procurements have been announced, and the process of card issuance is expected to start in March of this year. The credit-card sized Latvian eID card will enable Latvian citizens to have more convenient and secure services by facilitating access for citizens to national and European eGovernment services.

The eID card has three main functions: visual identification, authentication, and digital signing. Because of the card's unique ability to digitally authenticate identity, it can be used to file taxes, open bank accounts, make purchases on the internet, to access online banking, to travel, as well as for voting. 

Electronic ID cards contain a chip holding personal data and two certificates: for authentication purposes, and for qualified digital signatures. The Latvian eID card, according to the ICAO specifications, may include such information as: signature, photo, name, person identification code, birth date, sex, citizenship, card number, and end of validity. The chip may include the same data, except the photo and signature, as well as certificates for authentication and for qualified electronic signature, associated private keys protected with PIN codes. The certificates usually contain only the holder’s name and person identification code.

Data stored on the card chip will be protected by secure digital government signature, which allows the card to be read and verified without human interference. It dramatically increases the security of identity control during authentication and signing of electronic documents, as well as eliminates document forgery. 

It is known that the national ID card will not be mandatory for all citizens, so every Latvian will be able to choose the preferred document. In the future, when Latvian e-government infrastructure is developed, Latvian eID card functionality will allow cardholders to access eGovernment and public services, and to electronically sign official documents such as contracts and declarations.