Smart-ID introduces NFC registration in Latvia on 22 September 2026 from 11 PM, and account registration with eID card readers is discontinued from that date.
Smart-ID account registration and renewal in Latvia now powered by NFC ↗ · repeat of an earlier article
What happened
- NFC registration requires a Latvian eID card and an NFC-enabled smartphone, and the whole process is completed on the phone, usually in up to five minutes.
- NFC registration is not possible for eID cards with chip version “Cosmo 8.1” issued between 2 September 2019 and 30 January 2026.
- Users with a previously registered Smart-ID account can still create a new account via biometric identification, without access to the existing account but with access to the previously used email or phone number.
Why it matters to Signicat
- Competitor removes card-reader registration in Latvia, shifting onboarding to phone-only NFC, relevant to Signicat's eID onboarding in the Baltics.
- Vendor states the chip-presence requirement limits account creation to holders of the physical card; this is vendor framing, not independently verified.
Evidence from the source (5 quotes)
- “The entire process is completed on your phone and usually takes up to five minutes.” source ↗
- “NFC registration is not possible for eID cards with the chip version “Cosmo 8.1” that were issued between September 2, 2019 and January 30, 2026.” source ↗
- “If you have previously registered a Smart-ID account, you can still use biometric identification to create a new Smart-ID account.” source ↗
- “The new registration method replaces the previous registration process using an eID card reader, so everything can now be completed in one place-on your phone.” source ↗
- “This means that a person who does not have access to the physical eID card cannot create a Smart-ID account.” source ↗
eID brokeringAuthentication passwordlessFeature updateBaltics
4 of 4 facts verified against the source · confidence high · claude-haiku-5-5