Smart-ID for e-Residents
Smart-ID is a mobile app launched in 2016 by SK ID Solutions, the Estonian Government's partner for issuing certificates on different identity documents held by citizens, residents, and e-residents. Please note that a similar service is called Mobile-ID, which is not currently available to e-Residents, because you need an Estonian phone number and be in Estonia to be verified.
Your digital ID card needs to have active certificates when you set up Smart-ID (i.e., it cannot be expired), in case your e-Residency card expires, and you need uninterrupted access to banking and other digital services in the meantime, then you are strongly advised to activate Smart-ID straight away. Using Smart-ID for personal identification is free and unlimited, and you can download the app on all your Android and iOS smart devices. Follow the steps in the app to confirm your identity and complete the registration process in just a few minutes. Just remember, if you want to use Smart-ID on multiple smart devices, you will need to register each device individually for the authentication to work. Moreover, you can also use Smart-ID to access e-services from your other devices. Say you prefer to use a computer for online banking and have a Smart-ID on your smartphone. You can use Smart-ID on both. You can log in to e-services using your computer and the smart device, or the smart device only. YOU choose the way you want to use e-services and Smart-ID.
Smart-ID can be used to log in to e-services, for online banking, and to sign documents. Signatures given with Smart-ID are legally binding, recognized in all EU states, and have the same legal effect as handwritten signatures.
The Smart-ID app is easy to use, even if it is your first app experience or the first time you've used electronic authentication. Give it a go; the digital revolution has never been easier! If your e-Residency card has expired and you don't have Smart-ID but still require to submit the Annual report or any other e-Services, there is still hope, and the access can be delegated to your accountant without the need for either of the cards. If you require such help, contact us at Comistar Estonia via email at hello@comistar.ee or on our webpage.
