Estonia, EU – Baltic States, Internet, Legislation, Technology

Named "Ten million Estonians", the new web platform is a part of a bill that will enter into force on 1December 2014. This unique system – the only one in the world – will allow anyone to have a digital Estonian ID card which will open access to a range of public and private services and significantly reduce business running costs. However the e-residency candidate will have to explain his/her links with Estonia and his/her interest in using the digital services...

E-residency’s idea

An e-resident will be a physical person who has received the e-resident’s digital identity (smart ID-card) from the Republic of Estonia. This will not entail full legal residency or citizenship or right of entry to Estonia.

Instead, e-residency gives secure access to Estonia’s digital services and an opportunity to give digital signatures in an electronic environment. Such digital identification and signing is legally fully equal to face-to-face identification and handwritten signatures in the European Union.

The card is not a physical ID-card or even a travel document because it has no photo on it, but it does have a microchip with security certificates. These enable the card to be used with a small piece of software installed and a reader attached via USB to a computer. It works on two-factor authentication. To get access to a service or sign digitally, you need to enter secure PINs which only you will know.

Source: http://e-estonia.com/e-residents/e-residency/