Switzerland: The e-ID is coming later
The introduction of the electronic identity card in Switzerland is postponed from summer to probably the end of 2026. Security is to take precedence.
(Image: Shutterstock.com/Kitinut Jinapuck)
Switzerland's electronic ID, the e-ID, is coming at the end of this year, later than expected – but with adjustments and an additional focus on security and acceptance. This was announced by the Swiss government, the Federal Council. In September 2025, Swiss citizens decided in a referendum with a very narrow majority to introduce the e-ID.
State vs. Private
Almost five years ago to the day, there was a vote on the introduction of a state-issued electronic identity card. However, the then e-ID version 1.0 was to be issued by private companies, which was clearly rejected by the voters with over 64 percent. In last year's vote, it was just enough with 50.39 percent, but acceptance of an electronic ID was again low: various points of criticism and concerns remained despite, or rather because of, the hesitant 'yes' for the cleanup, for example regarding data protection and security. These should, as the Federal Council wanted after the last vote, be resolved by the Federal Office of Justice (FOJ).
On Wednesday, the Federal Council was informed about the adjustments already carried out and planned, and subsequently announced that the new e-ID can likely be used from December 1, 2026. Originally, summer 2026 had been targeted.
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The e-ID is based on a state-run wallet ("Swiyu" app) and is intended to enable digital identity proofs – for example, for accessing online services (age verification) or obtaining official documents. Accordingly, it is also a key project for digital administration.
Security Vulnerabilities and Trustworthiness in Focus
The focus of the additional measures, which are now to be addressed and continued rapidly, is on closing security vulnerabilities and increasing trustworthiness in the use of the e-ID and the associated infrastructure. According to current federal plans, only legally authorized providers will be able to query users' AHV numbers (pension insurance). Unauthorized requests will be automatically blocked by the Swiyu wallet.
Furthermore, providers will be obliged to deposit their desired data queries and their purpose in a publicly accessible federal register in advance, the Federal Council announced in a press release. If the registration is missing or the provider requests too much information about the users, they will receive a warning in their Swiyu wallet and can report misuse to the Federal Office of Justice. A "flawed provider" could, "as a last resort, be excluded by the FOJ from the e-ID system and the trust infrastructure," it says.
In principle, greater transparency is to be created for e-ID holders. Indications and warnings are also planned in the Swiyu wallet, through which users can quickly and easily inform themselves about the trustworthiness of providers, the Confederation states.
Planning and Execution with Weaknesses
In mid-February, the Federal Audit Office (FAO) also expressed some criticism and concerns regarding the secure and timely introduction of the digital identity card. Above all, there are still security vulnerabilities, for example in the encryption of user data, which are transmitted between the participants when the e-ID is issued and should fundamentally be encrypted end-to-end. However, the FAO was "surprised that the corresponding concept for user data encryption for the e-ID has not yet been completed." For the "Trust Infrastructure" project, the development of an encryption concept has not even been consistently addressed. The planning documents originally envisaged the completion of these tasks by the end of 2025.
The trust infrastructure is the technical platform provided by the Confederation for the processes involved in the use (issuance, storage, and processing) of the e-ID. The trust infrastructure is designed to be open, so that other electronic proofs can also be mapped within it, such as the Swiss electronic learning permit (eLFA). This has already been issued in the Swiyu app since the beginning of the year.
Due to the still open tasks, the FAO ultimately recommended considering the postponement of the e-ID launch date, which has now also been decided.
(mho)
