Germany still not ready to launch DeutschlandID

Germany’s little-known federal digital identity BundID still seems to be struggling to find popularity.

According to the federal government, only 5.1 million users currently have a BundID account – Germany’s population reaches 84.4 million. The digital ID is the only one used by nine out of 16 federal states, however, German news outlet Heise reports.

The government has been planning to upgrade the platform to DeutschlandID as part of its digital transformation plans. The timeline of the switch, however, is still unknown, according to the Federal Ministry of the Interior. Authorities are also planning to introduce an interface to the upcoming EUDI wallet on the BundID.

The BundID was established under the name Federal User Account (NKB) in 2019. The identity account is used to access public services, including a mailbox that allows citizens to communicate with public administration. Germans can sign up for an account using an identity card with an eID.

The government launched an upgrade to the digital identity last year by amending the Online Access Act. The planned changes involve switching German state accounts to a central user account provided by BundID. The updated legislation allows the identification and authentication of users through existing accounts during a three-year transition period.

As part of these changes is the migration to DeutchlandID which is managed by the German IT Planning Council, an agency that coordinates IT upgrades across the country.

While the timeline for the switch to DeutchlandID is still unknown, BundID has been making some improvements.

The platform recently updated its mailbox to allow citizens to reply to emails from public offices. The step is an improvement considering that citizens were previously required to contact public authorities using different means, including a fax machine.

The platform currently offers over 1600 online services and administration portals from federal, state, municipal and other administration authorities, an upgrade from last May’s 1200 services.

Deutsche Telekom boss backs digital IDs

Meanwhile, the boss of Europe’s largest telecommunication network in Europe is also backing Germany’s efforts to provide online identity. The CEO of Deutsche Telekom Timotheus Höttges called for e-government to be expanded through the introduction of a digital ID for citizens.

The call was made as part of Höttges’ action plan for the digitalization of Germany, issued after months of parliamentary debates over the expansion of fiber optics and mobile communications, according to Heise.

In July last year, the government declared the expansion of telecommunications networks “in the overriding public interest” until 2030. The legislation that would allow the development was supposed to go through the Bundestag in November. However, as Germany’s government went into crisis and the ruling coalition collapsed, former coalition factions could not reach an agreement.

Aside from support for the legislation, Höttges’ action plan highlights investments in technologies such as data centers, robots and AI. The telco boss also called for implementing digital health solutions and the establishment of a separate digital ministry. Germany currently handles its digital matters through the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport.

This post was updated at 12:22pm Eastern on January 16, 2025 to clarify the availability of BundID.

Article Topics

BundID  |  DeutchlandID  |  Deutsche Telekom  |  digital government  |  digital ID  |  digital identity  |  EU Digital Identity Wallet  |  Germany