Austria plans relaunch of e-ID system after criticism

Austria is planning to relaunch its electronic ID system to create a “more user-friendly and simpler” service. In five years, all nine million Austrians should be able to use ID Austria, according to State Secretary Alexander Pröll.

Designed as an interim solution, ID Austria is associated with the Digital Office (Digitales Amt) app and provides access to around 400 public services to approximately 3.8 million users. The service, however, has also come under criticism for its complicated interface and performance issues.

The relaunch is planned for this summer, Pröll told the Kurier newspaper in April. The Secretary General of the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) did not share more details about the transition. The plan also includes issuing ID Austria at birth, introducing additional registration offices and abolishing fees for digital services.

Meanwhile, the country’s digital ID wallet app eAusweis, developed by Youniqx Identity, a subsidiary of the Austrian State Printing House (OSD), has been increasing the number of features on offer. After offering a mobile driving license (mDL) and digital vehicle registration, the platform announced earlier this year that it would enable users to share their digital vehicle registration with family members and friends.

Article Topics

Austria  |  digital government  |  digital ID  |  e-ID  |  government services  |  ID Austria