eID cards to become mandatory identification documents in 2023

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Starting 2023, electronic identification cards (eID) will become mandatory identification documents for all residents of Latvia who have reached the age of 15, according to draft amendments to the Personal Identification Documents Law which the government endorsed on August 29.

The Environmental Protection and Regional Development Ministry drafted the legislative amendments to transpose an EU regulation intended to enable secure cross-border electronic transactions within the bloc's internal market. The regulation obliges all EU member states to ensure by September 2018 that people and businesses can use their own national electronic identification schemes (eIDs) to access public services in other EU member states.

In order to ensure that people can exercise their rights and fulfil obligations, receive public services from any member state and send and receive electronic documents, eID cards have to be made a primary form of identification.

"The eID card will be mandatory for all citizens and non-citizens of Latvia who have reached the age of 15. Passports, meanwhile, will become an optional document people will be able to use as a travel document in countries where eID cards are not recognized as valid identification and travel documents," the Environmental Protection and Regional Development Ministry said.

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