SMIT launches call for tenders to collect biometrics of e-residents on mobile devices

IT and Development Centre at the Estonian Ministry of the Interior (SMIT) launched a call for tenders to purchase a new technical solution. The aim is to enable the collection of photos and fingerprints of e-residents via smartphones. SMIT intends to find a contractor through a competitive dialogue. Companies with previous experience in providing similar solutions and services are invited to submit a tender.

According to Kaija Kirch, Head of SMIT’s Identity Services Department, the aim of the procurement is to develop a technical solution that would allow the secure collection of biometric data, such as facial images and fingerprints, from e-Residency applicants. “The solution to be procured will significantly speed up the process of applying for e-Residency and receiving the document and is also a prerequisite for replacing the existing e-Residency digital identity based on a physical card with a mobile solution in the future. The application process also becomes more convenient for e-Residency applicants, as the app eliminates the need to worry about photo requirements, as it allows the applicant to take and submit a photo that meets the requirements. The application also verifies the authenticity of the applicant’s document and automatically adds a copy of the document to the application data.”

According to Kirch, a contractor is sought through a competitive dialogue to test and assess possible solutions before deciding. “The project is complicated by the fact that the collection and transmission of data with a smartphone must be secure. In addition, the solution must meet the requirements of the European Union’s eIDAS regulation, so that e-Residency can continue to be used for authentication and the provision of electronic signatures equivalent to handwritten signatures. We invite companies with previous experience in providing similar solutions and services to participate in the tender,” said Kirch.

According to Anita Preinvalts, Senior Superintendent of the Identity and Status Bureau of the Police and Border Guard Board, a smart application compatible with the e-Residency application environment ensures even more efficient identification by adding a technological layer of control to the e-Residency application process. “The application helps to assess the security features, validity and authenticity of a document, and the PBGB can check whether the actions were performed in real time and by the right person,” she explained.

However, in order to receive and activate the e-resident’s digital ID, the e-resident still needs to physically go to an Estonian representation or a PBGB service office. “This requirement remains in place to further check, before issuing the e-Residency, whether the e-resident’s digital ID will be received by the same person who applied for it. Since we are also testing fingerprint comparison via the app, we hope to eliminate the requirement to be present in the future, under certain conditions, such as a repeated application for e-Residency. If the solution is successful, we would like to implement it for the issuance of other Estonian identity documents as well,” Preinvalts said.

According to Liina Vahtras, Managing Director at e-Residency, this is a very important innovation that, alongside security and improved user convenience, leads to long-awaited progress in shortening the e-resident’s customer journey. “The main objective of the programme is to develop by 2027 a fully digital alternative to the plastic e-Residency document delivered by diplomatic mail, which will be a standalone mobile application allowing electronic signature and authentication, alongside a remote identification and biometric capture application. While today e-residents have to wait for their cards to arrive, in the future they could go to a suitable Estonian embassy as soon as they have passed a background check and activate their certificates on their smartphones on the spot. Cardless e-Residency would help to reduce the current waiting time of the programme from two months to two weeks from the submission of the application to starting a business, increasing the competitiveness of the Estonian business environment and consequently the economic benefits for the state,” Vahtras said. She added that this was an important development also from the risk management perspective: “This solution further helps to ensure that e-residents are under greater scrutiny than other foreign nationals doing business in Estonia.”

The call for tenders can be found in the Public Procurement Register at https://riigihanked.riik.ee/rhr-web/#/procurement/7423465/general-info. The deadline for submission is 17.10.2024 at 11.00 a.m.