E-Resident's digital ID

Validity of e-Resident Digital ID cards issued until August 2023

Due to recent changes in European Union legislation, more than 19,000 e-Residency ID card’s digital certificates will be revoked on December 9th 2026, after which the document can no longer be used electronically for identification in e-services or for digitally signing documents. This change affects e-residents whose e-Resident Digital ID cards are issued until August 2023.

Why are the certificates being revoked?

The certificates are being revoked due to stricter certification requirements introduced by Regulation (EU) 2024/1183 (eIDAS 2.0), which entered into force following its adoption by the European Parliament and the Council. Due to these legal changes, the Estonian Police and Border Guards’ contractual partner is unable to renew the document chip's certification which means the document can no longer be used electronically for identification in e-services or for giving a digital signature.

No security risk has been identified in the documents, and all transactions carried out with the e-Residency digital ID card remain valid.

What is eIDAS 2.0?

eIDAS 2.0 (Regulation (EU) 2024/1183) is the updated European Union regulation that amends and expands the original 2014 eIDAS framework to establish a secure, cross-border digital identity and trust-services ecosystem for all EU citizens and businesses. The requirements of eIDAS 2.0 apply directly in Estonia and do not need to be implemented through national legislation.

How can I check whether my card is affected?

All document users affected by this issue received a personal notification from e-mail address ... to the email address provided with their document application. Affected e-Residency digital ID cards were issued between 10.12.2021-16.08.2023, with numbers UA0051053-UA0076261.

My card is affected. What should I do?

To continue using e-Residency after 9th December 2026, please follow the two steps below:

1. Register/Update your free Smart-ID

This is the easiest option to continue logging in to e-services and signing documents in the short term. Smart-ID is a free government-backed app that allows you to authenticate your identity and is accepted by all e-government services for almost all actions. With this app, in almost all cases you do not need a physical card or card reader to log in or sign documents.

If you sign up for Smart-ID using your current e-Residency card before December 9th, you will receive valid certificates in the SmartID app for the next 3 years, or until your document’s expiry date if it comes sooner.

As such, we highly recommend that you reapply for e-Residency as soon as possible(see below).

If you already have Smart-ID, please check the validity of your current certificates in the Smart-ID app. If it expires before your card is due to expire, you must renew them before December 9th to keep using your e-Residency for its full period of validity.

2. Reapply for e-Residency

Reapplying for e-Residency means going through the full application process as you did before and receiving a new digital ID card.

What is a Smart-ID?

Smart-ID is a free, secure, government backed digital identity application used across Estonia and the wider Baltic region for electronic authentication and digital signing. It replaces the need for a physical ID card or chip-based document by using an app installed on your smartphone or tablet.

With Smart-ID, you can:

• Log in securely to e-services (banks, government portals, healthcare systems, and more)
• Give legally binding digital signatures, with the same validity as a handwritten signature
• Confirm your identity online without needing a card reader or physical document

Smart-ID meets the security requirements of the EU's eIDAS regulation and is already used daily by hundreds of thousands of Estonian residents. It is issued and regulated by licensed providers under Estonian and EU law, making it a trusted and legally valid alternative to a digi-ID.

How can I register for Smart-ID:

E-residents whose chip is expiring can register a Smart-ID account until their certificates expire on December 9th.

To register, install the Smart-ID app, select “Register new Smart-ID”, choose Estonia and ID-card as the authentication method, and follow the instructions in the app. You will need your e-Residency card, its six-digit CAN, PIN1 and PIN2.

If your phone does not support NFC or you experience difficulties during registration, please contact Smart-ID customer support.

A more detailed guide to registering with NFC.

I already have a Smart-ID account. How long is it valid for, and what should I do if my e-Residency card's chip certificates become invalid on 9 December 2026?

When a Smart-ID account is created, certificates are issued for 3 years oruntil your e-Residency expires, whichever happens first. You can check how long your Smart-ID certificate is valid for in the Smart-ID app.

If your Smart-ID certificate expires before the expiry date on your e-Residency card, you can create a new certificate by deleting your current Smart-ID account and creating a new one, then registering with your current e-Residency card.

To do this: delete your existing account through the app's menu, then register a new account (make sure to complete personalisation again). Once your existing account is deleted, the "Register" button will appear, allowing you to open a new account.

If you have further questions, you can check the Smart-ID help and FAQ page, or contact Smart-ID customer support.

It's important to note that for e-residents, the right to use Smart-ID also depends on holding valid e-Residency status and a valid document.

 How can I reapply for e-Residency?

You can submit a new e-Residency application via the official application portal:

Application for e-Resident's digital ID.