Agreement Reached to Ensure eID Card Users Keep Qualified e-Signature
Due to an EU regulation, over 346,000 eID card holders in Latvia will face changes to their qualified e-signature by the end of 2026. An agreement has been reached to introduce a remote qualified e-signature solution to ensure service continuity.
Changes to eID Card e-Signature
Under the European Parliament and Council Regulation (EU) 2024/1183 (eIDAS 2.0), the certification validity of a qualified electronic signature creation device (QSCD) must not exceed five years. Current Latvian eID cards have a certification validity of 10 years, and some chips may have been certified over 16 years ago. As a result, after December 9, 2026, the QSCD accreditation for the Cosmo 8.1 chip version will expire, and LVRTC will no longer be allowed to provide qualified e-signature creation with these cards. The change will affect more than 346,000 eID card users whose cards were issued between September 2, 2019, and January 30, 2026.
Impact on Users
Importantly, the changes only affect the electronic signing functionality. The eID card will remain valid for identity verification in electronic environments, in person, and for travel. A new card is not required. Users can check if their card is affected on the website eidkarte.lv. If affected, LVRTC will inform them about further steps. It is recommended to ensure contact information is up to date via the latvija.lv portal e-service. LVRTC will not be able to contact users who provided an email address from the restricted domain list (e.g., .ru).
Solution
A political agreement has been reached to introduce a remote qualified electronic signature for the affected eID cards. This signature will be managed by a qualified trust service provider and will have legal force in Latvia and the EU. The solution will be developed by LVRTC in cooperation with PMLP, along with necessary legislative amendments and system adaptations.
