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eIdentification/eAuthentication

The new Electronic Identity Card

Germany's new Identity (eID) Card was launched on 1 November 2010. The new eID card in credit card format replaces the existing national identity card and offers more functions than the current conventional ID. By utilising a microchip, the card provides an online authentication functionality, applicable to both eGovernment and eBusiness transactions. Due to the assignment of authorisation certificates and the mutual authentication, cardholders can be confident that whoever requests their data is also authorised to obtain it. The secure eID card will provide further protection against identity theft and will offer new, user-friendly ways to guarantee valid client-data for service providers and protect young people by age verification. Furthermore, the new eID card includes the optional electronic signature functionality. Cardholders may choose to upload a qualified electronic signature to their ID card, facilitating the card’s owner to perform legally binding actions in eGovernment and eBusiness applications. To ensure that national ID cards continue to serve as secure travel documents, the eID cards have biometric identifiers stored on a chip which satisfyies requirements for official identity checks – and for this purpose only. All eID cards have a digital biometric photo; cardholders may choose to include two fingerprints on the chip as well. Both identifiers are an efficient way to increase security at border controls.

Electronic Passport (ePass)

Germany was among the first countries to introduce the electronic Passport (ePass), in November 2005. It was developed to comply with the Council Regulation (EC)No2252/2004and was equipped with a microchip, holding owner’s data, such as name, surname, date of birth and nationality. Beyond traditionally relevant data, a digital facial image of the owner was also stored on the microchip. In June 2007, the revision of the Passport Act, as approved by the Federal Council, laid down the legal foundation for the electronic Passports of the second generation. In addition to the digital facial image, the new passports also feature two fingerprints in digital format. Those fingerprints are to be stored exclusively on the passport’s microchip, and they should in no case be stored locally on issuance authorities systems, or in any other central database.