The National Electronic Identity (eID), was presented on Tuesday by the Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy of the Republic of Cyprus, Dr. Nicodemos Damianou.
In an event in the presence of Deputy Minister to the President, Irene Piki, it was announced that applications for the eID start next Monday, January 27, with eligible Cypriot citizens over 18 years old, holders of a Biometric Identity.
Piki said that “the President of the Republic’s vision is the digitization of Cyprus soon and effectively,” adding that 2025 will be dedicated to many actions for digital transformation, the main ones of which, she said, will be presented by the President of the Republic himself on January 29, in the annual planning for 2025.
The Deputy Minister of Research said the Government is subsidising 100,000 electronic identities for Cypriot citizens, with the first 30,000 electronic identities being provided free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis, and the remaining 70,000 at a final cost of €15 for the citizen.
Damianou said that the electronic identity (eID) constitutes the unique, secure identity of each citizen in the online world and allows identification in public and private online services, while simultaneously providing the holder with the ability to sign electronic documents with absolute security, and with the same legal validity as a handwritten signature. All is needed, he added, is internet access and a mobile device.
The Deputy Minister of Research said that the electronic signature has already been integrated into the Hippodamus system and is scheduled to be gradually integrated into other state systems, such as the Department of Registrar of Companies and Official Receiver and the Department of Road Transport, which are in the implementation phase.
He also said that within the framework of the evolutionary implementation of digital services, a series of services for which the relevant application is currently offered only in printed form will now be able to be filled out in digital form, signed with an electronic signature, and sent electronically via email to the competent state authorities.
He added that in the initial phase, this capability concerns 21 applications of the Social Insurance Services, and soon the service situation will be expanded to other departments of the Government.
He also said that in the initial phase, by obtaining their electronic identity, citizens will be able to access Government systems through CY Login, using their eID credentials.
“All new systems are built with this logic (CY Login) and all existing systems are gradually being converted to require the use of CY Login,” he added.
He said that the national electronic identity of the Republic of Cyprus has already been approved by the European Commission at the highest level of security and recognizability (“High Assurance”) under the eIDAS Regulation, with the registered name: IDMe.cy. “Therefore, it can be recognised for cross-border electronic transactions within the European Union”, he added.
Referring to the difference between the electronic identity and the digitized form of the identity, which one can place in the “Digital Citizen” application, Damianou said that the “Digital Citizen” application, announced last December and having 25,000 users, “allows one to create a digital copy of their physical identity and use it in the physical world, wherever one needs to use the plastic form of the document.”
He explained that the electronic signature does not pertain to the digital world, but to online services.
More information regarding the electronic identity, the mechanisms it supports, the ways of use, as well as the issuance and usage procedures, can be found on the relevant website: www.idme.gov.cy.
Speaking at the event, the Deputy Minister to the President also said that “our goal is, through cooperation with all competent authorities, both public and private sectors, to succeed and create a state that meets the modern needs of our citizens”.
Piki said that with the interconnected electronic identity, citizens and businesses now have the ability to conduct electronic transactions on a large scale with greater security, speed, and efficiency.
“This innovation is not merely a means for the development of the digital economy but a crucial step in combating bureaucracy,” she added.
Also read: Digital Citizen app launches today – What’s included
Source: CNA
