Cyprus launched applications for its new national electronic identification (eID) system today, with the first 100,000 cards being subsidised by the government, deputy ministry officials announced.
The government will fully subsidise 30,000 cards on a first-come, first-served basis, while the next 70,000 applicants will pay €15 each, well below the legislated maximum price of €50 for the three-year validity period.
“This marks a significant milestone for Cyprus’s digital economy”, Deputy Minister Dr Nicodemos Damianou said at a press briefing last week.
The system, registered as IDMe.cy, has received European Commission approval at the highest security level under the eIDAS regulation, enabling cross-border electronic transactions within the EU.
Eligible applicants must be Cypriot citizens over 18 with a biometric ID card and a smartphone supporting biometric authentication.
Applications can be submitted through JCC’s trust portal, followed by an in-person verification at Citizen Service Centres within 30 days.
The eID system will initially enable access to government services through CY Login and has been integrated with the Hippodamos system.
Plans include expansion to the Companies Registrar and Road Transport Department systems. Twenty-one Social Insurance Services applications will be available digitally at launch.
The initiative completes the government’s “public upgrading” programme, which includes the gov.cy portal, Digital Citizen mobile app – already used by 25,000 people – and Digital AI Assistant.
More information is available at www.idme.gov.cy.
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