Latvia Could Scrap Mandatory ID Card

Latvia could drop the requirement that citizens and non-citizens must hold a personal ID card. The Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development (VARAM) has conceptually supported a proposal by Interior Minister Jānis Dombrava (National Alliance) to let residents choose which identity document to use – a passport or an ID card. For now these are only plans, and the new rules would require amendments to the Law on Personal Identification Documents.

What would change

Currently, an ID card is mandatory for Latvian citizens and non-citizens from the age of 15. The planned changes would remove that obligation, but people still would not be able to go without an identity document: a valid passport or ID card would still be required.

Why the requirement is seen as less necessary

VARAM explains that the ID card requirement was introduced so that every resident would have access to electronic identification and e-signatures. Today other solutions are increasingly used for this purpose, such as "eParaksts mobile" and "Smart-ID". About 620,000 contracts have been concluded for the use of "eParaksts mobile", and this is the tool most often used to sign documents electronically and confirm identity.

Conditions before abolishing the requirement

The ministry stresses that, before the ID card requirement is lifted, equal opportunities to use digital identification services must be ensured for those who have chosen only a passport. At present, a fully remote application for "eParaksts mobile" is possible only with an ID card, while passport holders can have a contract arranged via a courier.

VARAM also proposes expanding the services of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs so that residents could apply for "eParaksts mobile" at the same time as receiving a passport or ID card. In the future, the activation of the European digital identity wallet could also be offered this way.