Belgians can apply for digital national ID cards in 2026

Belgian citizens will be able to apply for a digital version of the national identity card from November 2026.

The digital ID card will be optional and will not replace the physical document immediately, the country’s Minister of Interior Bernard Quintin said on Monday. Owners of the digital ID will be able to use it for identification and authentication, electronic signatures and traveling through the Schengen zone.

Details on the digital document are yet to be released. The new system will be made according to strict security guidelines and will be EU-certified, Quintin said according to Flemish public broadcaster VRT.

Last year in May, Belgium also launched a digital wallet application named MyGov.be, designed to hold official documents and allow users access to public services.

The Belgian government may have to do some convincing before the national digital ID is accepted. A 2023 survey from Deloitte revealed that a large majority of Belgians, 71 percent,  do not want a digital ID on their phone.

Despite such sentiments, more than 80 percent of the country’s adult population has embraced a private digital identity solution called Itsme, owned by a consortium of local telecom companies and banks. Belgians have also received a competitor to Itsme last year in the form of the Estonian Smart-ID app.

Article Topics

Belgium  |  biometric authentication  |  biometric identification  |  digital ID  |  national ID