The Estonian Police and Border Guard Board participated in a procurement process that was won by X Infotech to develop a mobile application enabling e-residency applicants to submit their biometric data for verification.
The app, available from 2027, will allow applicants to securely share face and fingerprint biometrics, streamlining the e-residency application process.
The solution should meet the technical requirements for components such as biometrics capture and document checking.
X Infotech, an issuer of electronic identity documents and payment cards, has won the procurement of the app, which must comply with the European Union eIDAS Regulation allowing the applicant to continue using their digital ID for authentication. The eIDAS regulation also validates an electronic signature in place of a physical signature.
SMIT said the procurement was a competitive and complex process to negotiate the top bidder and test the applications.
Kaija Kirch, Head of the Identity Services Department of SMIT, said the service to be procured was unique because “verification of the authenticity and validity of the document, taking a photo and giving fingerprints must work together in one service”.
The submission of biometric data via a mobile app will first be piloted on e-residency applicants, while applicants will no longer have to visit the Estonian Embassy.
