Switzerland prepares to introduce biometric ID cards

Switzerland is planning to introduce a new chip-enabled biometric identity card by the end of 2026.

The country is introducing the new document to align with European Union regulation, which mandates that all member states issue biometric ID cards from 2021. Although Switzerland is not an EU member, the country is required to introduce a chip-enabled ID card no later than one year after the revised Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons (AFMP) comes into force.

Current biometric passports already contain a chip with fingerprints and facial data.

The Swiss Federal Police announced on Monday that work on the new ID card is already underway. The chip containing biometric data will protect against misuse such as counterfeiting, while the biometric data can only be read when the ID card is physically presented. Only countries with data protection regimes equivalent to Switzerland will be able to access the fingerprint data stored inside the chip.

Swiss residents will still be able to use their old, non-biometric ID cards for travel across the EU until they expire or up to ten years, Blue News reports.

The country is also expecting a referendum on the introduction of electronic identities (eID) in September this year.

Article Topics

biometric identification  |  biometrics  |  digital ID  |  identity document  |  Switzerland