Press releasePublished on 20 June 2025

e-ID: Federal Council opens consultation on ordinance

Bern, 20.06.2025 — The new official electronic identification (e-ID) will enable users to engage with authorities and companies in a secure, user-friendly and efficient digital environment – provided voters approve its introduction in a referendum on 28 September. On 20 June the Federal Council opened the consultation process on an ordinance regulating the details of the e-ID. The consultation period will last until 15 October.

Parliament adopted the Federal Act on Electronic Identification Services (e-ID Act) on 20 December 2024 by a large majority. Opponents of this legislation successfully triggered a referendum, which will allow voters to make the final decision on introducing an official e-ID. The referendum will be held on 28 September.

The e-ID Ordinance regulates details such as eligibility for an e-ID and the e-ID application process. It also specifies procedures for companies and authorities when verifying customers’ e-IDs, using the trust infrastructure and issuing their own digital credentials.

In the ordinance, the Federal Council also specifies several measures aimed at protecting user privacy. In particular, authorities and companies may request and store only the data they require when verifying an e-ID or other electronic credentials. People who feel that they have been treated inappropriately in this regard can contact the Federal Office of Justice (FOJ) directly. The FOJ will carry out a review and enter information in the trust register about the authority or company. Other users of the relevant service can thus be warned directly in the SWIYU app about an authority or company’s behaviour, if necessary.

In order to provide maximum transparency, the Federal Council decided at its meeting on 20 June to initiate the consultation procedure in advance of the referendum. Interested parties can comment on its proposals until 15 October.