Filenews 21 January 2025 - by Theodora Nicolaou
The acceptance of applications for the provision of a national electronic identity (eID) starts from Monday, January 27, 2025. The first 100,000 electronic IDs are subsidized by the state, of which 30,000 eIDs are provided free of charge and 70,000 at a cost of €15 for the citizen.
The Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy is able to implement the last of the four actions included in the "public upgrading".These actions consist of the new central government portal (gov.cy), the mobile application "Digital Citizen" -which has already been downloaded and is used by 25,000 users-, the artificial intelligence tool "Digital Assistant" (Digital AI Assistant) and our electronic identity and signature (eID) IDme.cy.
At a press conference held today, the competent Deputy Minister, Dr. Nikodemos Damianou, said that the implementation of electronic identity is an important milestone for the country's digital economy. It is, as he said, an official tool of the RoC. It has already been approved by the European Commission at the highest level of security and awareness ("High Assurance") under the eIDAS Regulation, under the registered name: IDMe.cy. It can therefore be recognised for cross-border electronic transactions within the European Union.
The electronic identity has a duration of 3 years with the right to renew. Cypriot citizens over the age of 18 who are in possession of a valid biometric identity card and a smartphone that supports biometric authentication are eligible to apply.
How do I get my online ID?
The approved provider in Cyprus, which was licensed by the Government is jcc, where the citizen can enter its trust portal to create his account and create his application, and then within 30 days he must visit the Citizen Service Centers -after making an appointment-, to submit and sign his application, since physical presence is required. Then, within 5 days, he/she will have to visit jcc's trust portal online again and activate his/her electronic identity. There he will have to declare his password, which will be used during the application of the electronic identity. It is emphasized that in case I forget the user password I activated, then I will have to visit the KEP again to receive a valid new password, since physical presence is required.
How can I use my online ID?
Essentially, I can save the document which from Monday will be posted on idme.gov.cy website, then fill it in electronically without printing it, sign it with my electronic signature and send it to the competent authority.
In what government services can it be used
In the context of the conference, the Deputy Minister stressed that the use of electronic identity (eID) and interconnected electronic signature is not limited only to citizens' transactions with the state, but also for private or other professional use. Referring to the importance of this tool for the development of the digital economy itself, he called on businesses and professionals to utilize the mechanism of electronic identity to further digitize their electronic relationship with their customers and expand the scope of their work, while reducing their operational and administrative costs and increasing their efficiency.
Regarding the public sector, the Deputy Minister referred to the ways in which the electronic identity will be used at this stage, but also to the next steps for the gradual expansion of its use. Specifically, in the first stage, by acquiring his electronic identity, the citizen will be able to enter the Government's systems through CY Login, using the eID codes. At the same time, the electronic signature has already been integrated into the Hippodamus system and is planned to be gradually integrated into other state systems, such as the Department of the Registrar of Companies and Intellectual Property and the Department of Road Transport, which are in the implementation phase.
At the same time, and in the context of the evolutionary implementation of digital services, a series of services for which the relevant application is currently offered only in paper form, will now be able to be completed in digital form, signed with an electronic signature and sent electronically, via email, to the competent government services. Initially, this possibility concerns 21 applications from the Social Insurance Services, while soon the status of services will be extended to other parts of the Government.
The 21 applications of the Social Insurance Services are the following:
Employer Registration Application, Self-Employed Registration Application, Self-Employed Application for Payment of Contributions based on his/her Real Income, Declaration of Non-Employment of a Self-Employed Person, Notification of Termination of Employment of a Self-Employed Person, Notification of Change of Profession of a Self-Employed Person, Application for Paternity Allowance, Application for Orphan's Allowance, Application for Disability Benefit, Application for Bodily Injury Benefit, Application for Invalidity Pension, Application for Widow's Pension, Application for Social Pension, Application for Assimilated Insurance Periods due to Regular Training, Application for Assimilated Insurance Periods for Service in the National Guard, Application for Assimilated Insurance Periods for the Birth of Children, Application for Payment for Redundancy, Application for Payment Due to Employer's Insolvency, Application for Payment of Leave Pay, Employer's Application for Exemption from Obligation Payment of Contributions to the Central Leave Fund.
100,000 are subsidized
The Government subsidizes 100,000 electronic IDs for Cypriot citizens, with the first 30,000 electronic IDs being available free of charge in order of application, and the remaining 70,000, at a final cost to the citizen of €15. It is noted that the maximum amount determined by law is €50 in total for 3 years.
Applications for the issuance of an electronic ID begin on Monday, January 27, 2025, while beneficiaries are Cypriot citizens over 18 years old, holders of a Biometric ID.
For more information on the electronic identity, the mechanisms it supports, the ways of use and the procedures for issuing and using it, a relevant website has been created: www.idme.gov.cy.
