As of 1 January 2023, an identity card (eID card) will be established as a mandatory identity document for Latvian citizens and non-citizens who have reached the age of 15 years. The exception is several groups of persons who will be obliged to obtain an identity card by 31 December 2030. The news has raised several additional questions, for instance, whether everyone will be required to have an electronic signature, how the changes will influence travel conditions and voting process. In the first part of the publication, the LV portal explains who will receive electronic identity and electronic signature certificates, what the difference between eParaksts eID and eParaksts mobile is and what an e-assistant is.
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The amendments, which entered into effect on 1 January 2021, establish that eID is a mandatory identity document for a Latvian citizen or non-citizen who has attained 15 years of age.
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All eID card holders are provided with free signing and authentication certificates with an unlimited number of electronic signatures.
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An identity card has been made a mandatory identity document mostly to enable citizens to receive easily, quickly, and efficiently any of the electronic services provided by the state.
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When issuing an identity card to a person who has attained 14 years of age, it always includes electronic identity and electronic signature certificates.
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A document signed with electronic signature has the same legal force as a hand-signed paper document.
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A special solution has been developed for residents who do not use an eID card with an electronic signature or online bank – an e-assistant or an authorised e-service, that will enable them to receive e-services in the portal latvija.lv.
LV portal has already published that the amendments to the Personal Identification Documents Law (hereinafter referred to as the amendments), that entered into effect on 1 January 2021, contain the amended part one of Section 9: “an identity card is a mandatory identity document for a Latvian citizen or non-citizen who has attained 15 years of age.” Namely, the eID card will be a mandatory identity document for Latvian citizens and non-citizens who have attained 15 years of age starting from 2023, but for certain categories of persons (see the publication of LV portal “The identity card will be a mandatory document as of 2023”) – starting from 2031.
The amendments stipulate preserving the right of a person to choose both identity documents (passport and eID card), at the same time establishing the priority of the document – an identity card (eID card) will henceforth be the mandatory identity document, explains the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development (VARAM).
The Ministry also points out: all eID card holders are provided with free signing and authentication certificates with an unlimited number of electronic signatures, which means that persons will be able to draw up (sign) an unlimited number of documents having legal force free of charge. The possibility to use eID cards for electronic identification both for receiving electronic services in Latvia and other countries of the European Union (EU) will also be included.
Identification not only in person but also digitally
As VARAM explains, all Latvian residents will be provided with the opportunity to securely prove their identity not only in person, but also in the digital environment: "The amendments have been made mostly to enable residents to easily, quickly and efficiently receive any electronic services provided by the state. eID is not only an identity document, but also one of the identification tools guaranteed by the state.
At the moment, persons’ identification for electronic services provided by the state is carried out using several identification methods (including the identification of online banks) with different legal bases, security level and usability. VARAM indicates that the eID card will be a unified, state-guaranteed means of person’ s electronic identification both in Latvia and abroad in the future. At the same time, VARAM draws attention to the fact that the amendments do not provide that the services will in future be available only electronically, i. e. they will still be available for use in other ways.
Electronic identity and electronic signature certificates
The Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA) explains: when issuing an identity card to a person who has attained 14 years of age, it always includes electronic identity and electronic signature certificates (hereinafter referred to as certificates). However, everyone whose identity card contains certificates is issued PIN1, PIN2 and PUK code together with the identity card, namely:
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personal identification number (PIN1) for electronic identification;
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personal identification number (PIN2) for electronic signing;
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PIN1 and PIN2 unblocking key (PUK).
"Although a person has the right to refuse to activate certificates, the PIN1, PIN2 and PUK codes are still issued together with the identity card and everyone retains the possibility to activate the certificates during the validity period of the identity card," indicates the OCMA. In addition, the OCMA explains that the PIN1, PIN2 and PUK codes together with the identity card containing the certificates have been issued in all cases since the introduction of identity cards in 2012, whether the identity card recipient chose to activate or deactivate certificates.
Natural persons need either a smartphone or a card reader
According to eParaksts website, the eParaksts is a handwritten signature for electronic documents, and a tool allowing to prove person’s identity in the digital environment. A document signed with electronic signature has the same legal force as a hand-signed paper document.
eParaksts eID
To sign with eParaksts eID, a person needs:
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a computer and internet connection;
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eID card issued by the territorial divisions of the OCMA or representative offices abroad;
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a smart card reader compatible with the respective computer;
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free software on the computer, which can be found on the eParaksts website here.
An envelope with PIN codes required for signing electronic documents is also issued together with the eID card. The number of electronic signatures per person is unlimited and free of charge.
eParaksts mobile
To sign using eParaksts mobile, a person only needs a smartphone with the eParaksts mobile application downloaded and internet connection.
However, to receive the eParaksts mobile application, a person must first fill in the application on mobile.eparaksts.lv and sign the agreement. The application should contain:
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contact information;
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data about the identity document (passport or eID card);
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method of signing the agreement.
At the moment, the agreement eParaksts mobile can be signed:
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in person in notary offices by previous appointment latvijasnotars.lv;
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in person with the intermediary of a courier;
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remotely using eSignature eID or eSignature card of a legal entity (if the person already has eSignature eID or eSignature card of a legal entity, then eSignature mobile can be obtained anywhere in the world, if the card with available PIN codes is activated).
Just as the eSignature eID, the eSignature mobile application can be used free of charge without any restrictions on the number of signatures.
Special solution – e-assistant
A special solution has been developed for residents who do not use an eID card with an electronic signature or online bank – an e-assistant or an authorised e-service, that will enable them to receive e-services in the portal latvija.lv, informs VARAM.
Pursuant to the Cabinet Regulations No. 401 “Regulations Regarding the Types of the Unified Customer Service Centres of the State Administration, the Scope of Services Provided and the Procedures for the Provision of Services” an authorised e-service is an e-service which, on behalf of a natural person, on the basis of an authorisation, shall be requested by the employee of the unified customer service centre if the electronic identification means of the person are not available to the natural person.
The authorised e-service is now provided by SSIA and ADC
VARAM explains that the e-assistant is currently an employee of the State and municipal unified customer service centres (VPVKAC), to whom the client entrusts to apply for one specific service of the State Social Insurance Agency (SSIA) or the Agricultural Data Centre (ADC). Namely, one e-service application of a customer is one e-assistant authorisation for a specific SSIA or ADC service, respectively. At the same time, this does not prevent the customer from applying for several services of these institutions.
VARAM points out that the e-assistant’s service is provided at the choice of the institutions, but the range of services is planned to be expanded in the future.
According to the information provided by VARAM, the purpose of the authorised e-service is to create equal access to state and municipal services for all social groups, enabling everyone to receive services electronically: “The e-assistant is excellent help for the residents who have limited or no access to the Internet, and for those who do not have electronic means of identification or whose computer skills are not sufficient to use e-services independently. All you have to do is take your identity document (passport or identity card), go to the nearest VPVKAC and ask an employee of the customer service centre for help in completing the necessary formality – authorization.”
Source: LVportals.lv