In May 2023, the developer of Smart-ID, SK ID Solutions, successfully completed a process to obtain the official recognition in Latvia – the status of a local qualified means of identification for authentication, determined by the laws and regulations of the Republic of Latvia. Thus, in addition to compliance with the international European Union trust services eIDAS Regulation, Smart-ID is now also recognised in Latvia.
From a practical perspective, gaining such status means that in the future, individuals will be able to use Smart-ID for authentication purposes when accessing public sector services. For instance, to authenticate on state administration portals such as latvija.lv, when the tool will be integrated into the relevant website or e-service. Notably, Smart-ID developer SK ID Solutions will offer the solution to state institutions free of charge.
In order to ensure the availability of the latest information and data regarding users and their accounts within Smart-ID systems, the integration process with the Population Register of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs has also been successfully finalized. As a result, the developers of the solution will always have access to the most up-to-date information about users, including, for example, whether the user is active, or there have been no changes in personal information (change of name, surname), etc., making the overall information exchange process more effective.
“We are fully committed to expanding our services in Latvia, where Smart-ID has already gained the trust of over a million users. In March, Smart-ID users in the Baltic states made a record-breaking number of transactions – 85 million transactions, which is the highest number of transactions since the solution was introduced. The current volume of transactions and the growing number of users confirm the importance of digital identity in the Baltic states, so we are pleased that in the future Smart-ID will be available not only for the private sector, but also for receiving public administration services. It is also important to note that with the acquisition of this status, we will also play an important role in digital service risk management, providing several reliability solution alternatives in the field of e-services,” says Sanita Meijere, head of SK ID Solutions Latvia.