Czech Republic announces mobile driving licences and digital IDs
Residents of the Czech Republic will soon be able to store, display and verify digital versions of their identity card and driving license on their mobile devices and will no longer be required to carry physical ID documents if they do so, the Czech government has confirmed in a policy statement. mobile ID Czech Republic
The service will be made available “as soon as possible, at the latest in 2023” using the eDokladovska mobile app developed by the State Printing Works of Securities (STC) that enables users to upload and store “digital twins” of their physical documents on their Android or Apple device.
“The application will be available for virtually all current phones,” STC says.
“Data exchange will first take place by reading the QR code and then by Bluetooth transmission.
“Document verification will also work in offline mode users can verify what data they provide for inspection.
“The security of data storage and the method of data exchange between the holder’s application and the verifier’s application is based on the globally recognised interoperable standard ISO 18013-5. The application has active protection against reverse engineering and also includes protection of users against hacker attacks.”
In addition to their digital ID card, driving license and residence permit, users may also be able to import “additional documents which are issued/personalized by entities other than STC”, such as their vehicle registration certificate, birth certificate, firearm licence and health insurance card, to the eDokladovka app “in the future”.
STC unveiled a prototype of the eDokladovka app in April 2021 when it said that, as soon as legislation for the use of digital documentation was passed, “it is quite realistic to launch within one year of the assignment”.
Fiala noted that support for digital IDs (and digital driver’s licenses in particular) has been climbing in the past few months, especially now that Apple is moving forward with its own mobile ID plans. The Czech cards would be compatible with most current smartphones. In the meantime, the Czech government started issuing biometric national ID cards in August to comply with the European Union’s latest internal identity regulations. mobile ID Czech Republic
