Estonia’s Ministry of the Interior IT and Development Centre (SMIT) has awarded X Infotech a contract to build a mobile app for remote biometric collection in the e-residency program. The planned solution will allow applicants to submit a facial image and fingerprints via mobile while also performing document authenticity and validity checks. SMIT said the app is intended to enable secure, remote biometric enrollment.
The procurement is structured as a 48-month framework agreement with a maximum value of up to EUR 3 million. SMIT ran the tender using a competitive dialogue procedure, and it evaluated demo solutions and pricing after 12 companies submitted applications. X Infotech, a Latvian identity technology company, was selected as the winner.
The agreement sets the framework for delivery over four years and caps the total value at EUR 3 million. SMIT said the project is intended to enable secure mobile biometric submissions starting in 2027.
SMIT said the mobile capture system is designed to meet European Union eIDAS high security requirements. The solution is scheduled to enable biometric submissions starting in 2027, marking a shift toward cardless e-residency enrollment. The agency described the project as a step toward higher-assurance remote identity verification and contactless biometric enrollment for e-residents.
According to SMIT’s identity services leadership, the service is unusual because it must combine document authenticity and validity checks with photo capture and fingerprint collection in one workflow. The agency expects the app to support a streamlined enrollment process while keeping controls aligned with high-assurance standards.
X Infotech said the project reflects a new generation of biometric solutions in which enhanced algorithms and mobile technology reshape how people can securely prove identity from anywhere. The company’s role is to deliver the mobile capture capability as part of the national e-residency onboarding process.
The initial use case is a pilot with e-residency applicants, with potential expansion to other identity documents once quality validation is completed. SMIT said the pilot will focus on e-residency applicants before any broader rollout. SMIT said the agreement provides the framework for development, testing, and future rollout of the mobile biometric capture app.
Sources: SMIT
—
By Ali Nassar-Smith
