🇪🇪 Estonia · Mobile eID / app
Smart-ID and Mobile-ID
Estonian Mobile-ID and Smart-ID electronic identity solutions
Mobile-ID uses a special SIM card to provide card-free authentication and digital signing from a phone, while Smart-ID is an app that works without a SIM. Together they let Estonians authenticate and sign at high assurance without a card reader.
What it does
Online authenticationIdentity verification / KYCQualified digital signaturesCross-border interoperability
Country:🇪🇪 Estonia
Type:Mobile eID / app
Status:Live
Launched:2007
Issuer:Mobile-ID by mobile operators with SK ID Solutions; Smart-ID by SK ID Solutions; overseen by RIA
Who can get it:Estonian citizens and residents (Smart-ID is also available in Latvia and Lithuania)
Format
Mobile appSIM-based credential
Identity attributes
Legal namePersonal ID code
Authentication methods
Mobile appPINSIM-based PKI
Common use cases
Government servicesBanking / KYCDigital signaturesVotingTax
Standards
eIDAS LoA HighX.509 PKI
Coverage
Very widely used; Smart-ID has millions of users across the Baltic states
Interoperability
Mobile-ID is part of the eIDAS-notified Estonian scheme at LoA High; Smart-ID is QSCD-certified for qualified signatures
Privacy and trust
Both rely on PKI with user-held PINs and avoid central credential storage, keeping signing keys under user control.
Official source
https://www.id.ee/en/Smart-ID and Mobile-ID: frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between Mobile-ID and Smart-ID?
- Mobile-ID requires a special SIM card from a mobile operator, while Smart-ID is a standalone app that works on any smart device without a SIM.
- Can I give legally binding digital signatures with them?
- Yes. Both support qualified electronic signatures that are legally equivalent to handwritten signatures across the EU.
Educational reference, not official guidance. Confirm current details with the issuing authority. all Estonia schemes · identity verification vendors