Hungary announces digital ID app rollout from September

The Secretary of State in the Office of Hungary’s Prime Minister and National Assembly member, Csaba Dömötör, has disclosed that the country’s face and fingerprint biometrics-based digital ID system will go live in September.

This is part of a Digital Citizenship Program whose legislation is already in place. ID&Trust is understood to be provider of the software for the digital ID.

The country unveiled details of the initiative last year, saying the digital ID program is part of the central European country’s digital transformation propulsion.

In making the announcement via a terse Facebook explainer, Dömötör mentioned that from September, Hungarians will be able to carry their identity on a mobile application and use the same to identify themselves with the police.

Many other government services can be accessed from a user’s mobile phone, which means citizens will be spared the inconveniences of staying long in queues to get served at government offices, according to the official.

This, he said, will go a long way in not only streamlining verification processes, but also in ensuring secure data sharing for the same purpose. Before this novelty, carrying along physical ID cards has been compulsory.

The Digital Citizenship Program also means that citizens can carry other important personal identification credentials other than a national ID card on the mobile app. Other functions, according to Dömötör, include digital signatures and online scheduling of applications to obtain certain services including criminal records certificates.

The government has announced that all those who want to enjoy these digital services must sign up to the Digital Citizenship Program by completing a one-off enrollment process at any registration office, and registrants have to come along with a smartphone and photo ID.

After its launch in the fall, the government has also assured that citizens will be able to access more services on the app from autumn.

Article Topics

biometric authentication  |  biometrics  |  digital government  |  digital ID  |  Hungary  |  ID&Trust  |  identity management  |  mobile app  |  selfie biometrics