Kosovo has launched a national electronic identification platform and digital wallet intended to let citizens and businesses complete administrative services online, without visiting institutions or using paper documents. The Ministry of Digitalization and Public Administration introduced the system together with an electronic signature service, which officials say will carry the same legal force as a handwritten signature.
The electronic identity is an official way for citizens to prove who they are online without appearing in person, and is meant to replace usernames and passwords on digital platforms over time. Citizens will be able to obtain one starting Monday at the seven regional centers of the Civil Registration Agency, with the service expanding to other municipalities in later phases. The identity is stored in the Digital Wallet, which runs on Android and iOS phones and also holds relevant documents. A separate signing application lets users sign documents from a phone or computer rather than printing, signing and delivering them by hand.
The platform is already integrated with eKosova, the government’s online services portal, enabling password-free login and electronic signing. One of the first uses is signing in the business registration process. Prime Minister Albin Kurti said more than 330 digital services are already offered through eKosova and that the new system aims to provide them entirely electronically. He said that would eventually let citizens living outside Kosovo complete administrative procedures without traveling to the country.
Not all services will be available in that form immediately. A citizen abroad will be able to identify and sign remotely only where the relevant service has been integrated, and further administrative and business procedures that now require physical documents are due to be added in future phases.
Lulëzon Jagxhiu, the minister of digitalization and public administration, said the electronic identity will provide secure identification on digital platforms in both the public and private sectors. Businesses and organizations will also be able to apply electronic seals, a company-level counterpart to a personal signature, to their documents.
The European Union provided financial support for the project. Dirk Schuebel, the EU ambassador to Kosovo, said the services will be provided free of charge.
Sources: KOHA, Telecompaper
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
