Cyprus’ Council of Ministers on Wednesday approved the subsidy of 100,000 electronic identities (e-IDs) which will be made available to Cypriot citizens over the age of 18.

Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Nicodemos Damianou, said after a Cabinet meeting that the distribution of the e-IDs, which will be valid for three years, is expected to begin within about two months from today, while the application and identification process is to be announced soon, and that, for this purpose it is expected that the Citizen Service Centers will be used.

According to Damianou, the Council of Ministers has decided that the first 30,000 e-IDs will be made available free of charge to strengthen “this important digitization action of our country, on a first come, first served basis.”

For the remaining 70,000, the State will subsidise a significant part of the cost, with the final cost for the citizen being €15, he added.

“The e-ID is the only secure identity of every citizen in the online world,” Damianou said.

He noted that it allows identification in online processes starting from the Government's information systems, while at the same time, it provides the possibility for its holder to sign electronic documents, “with absolute security and with the same legal force as a handwritten signature.”

He added that the National electronic identity of the Republic of Cyprus has already been approved by the European Commission at the High Assurance level of security, with the registered name: IDMe.cy, and can be recognised for cross-border electronic transactions within the European Union.

“This is a particularly important step, which falls within the framework of actions of the “Digital Citizen”, umbrella project which has been announced in early 2024 by the President of the Republic, through which the Government will provide citizens with useful digital tools and solutions,” Damianou said.

According to the Deputy Minister, the use of the electronic identity (e-ID) and the interconnected electronic signature is not limited only to citizens' transactions with the state, but also for private or other professional use.

“It is an important tool for the economy itself. A mechanism that can be used, beyond the Government, by businesses and professionals with the aim of developing the market in matters of simplifying procedures, increasing efficiency and combating time-consuming bureaucratic procedures,” he added. He also said that it enables businesses to further digitise the electronic relationship with their customers, while reducing their operational and administrative costs.

The first system in which this feature has been implemented is the Ippodamos system, he added, noting that applications for town planning and building permits are submitted and signed by architects and researchers using the electronic identity, while public officials sign - also electronically - the relevant authorisation leading to the issuance of the licence.

Damianou said that the electronic signature would be gradually integrated into other government systems such as the Tax Department, the Road Transport Department and the Registrar of Companies.

“For the Government, digital transformation is one of our highest priorities,” Damianou said. He noted that there are challenges, “however, we aim at the gradual implementation of what we have promised, aiming at the modernisation and progress of the country, but also a positive impact on the daily life of Cypriot citizens.”