One must not underestimate the scale of political, cultural, and legal changes involved. The time needed for this type of project has to be taken into account. As presented at CEBIT 2016 by Thomas de Maizière, former Minister of the Interior of Germany, the national eID brings convenience and security to German citizens in the digital transformation the country is undertaking. Germany is one of the 60+ countries issuing electronic national ID cards.
A new generation of highly secure ID documents has been implemented nationwide,.
More than 53 million new-generation electronic identity cards and 8 million electronic residence permits were in circulation in January 2018.Īccording to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Construction, and Home website, all 61 million German citizens (over 16 years old) will have the German National Identity card by 2020.Īs of September 2021, the national ID will also be available on mobile phones. The German identity card was launched in November 2010 after four years of preparation, with particular attention paid to the conditions for success and take-up.
