Interior Minister Dombrava proposes scrapping mandatory eID card requirement
Latvia's Interior Minister Jānis Dombrava has submitted proposals to Saeima to remove the mandatory requirement for citizens and non-citizens aged 15 and older to obtain an eID card. The proposal comes as an amendment to the Law on Identity Documents.
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Interior Minister Jānis Dombrava, representing the National Alliance (NA), has submitted proposed amendments to the Law on Identity Documents currently under review in the Saeima, Latvia's parliament. The amendments would eliminate the existing requirement that obliges Latvian citizens and non-citizens to obtain a personal identity card, commonly known as an eID card, once they turn 15.
What would change
Under current law, reaching the age of 15 triggers a mandatory obligation to acquire an eID card. Dombrava's proposal seeks to remove this obligation, which would effectively make obtaining the document voluntary rather than compulsory.
Next steps
The proposed changes are part of a broader package of amendments currently being reviewed by the Saeima. They will need to proceed through the remaining stages of the legislative process before any decision is finalized. No specific timeline for a vote has been disclosed, nor has detailed reasoning been provided for why the minister considers lifting the mandatory requirement necessary.
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