Electronic ID cards in Spain

Half a million Spaniards now have an electronic National Identity Card

500,000 electronic National Identity Cards have now been issued by the National Police, a figure which meets targets set by Spain's Home Office. Joan Mesquida, the director of the National Police and Civil Guards has announced yestoday that the second phase of introducing these electronic identity cards will be launched in 27 provinces throughout Spain before the end of autumn.

By the end of the year, there should be more than two and a half million Spanish citizens with electronic national identity cards, and by the end of 2008 it is expected that this figure will have grown to over six and a half million. At present there are 47 offices in 22 provinces where electronic cards are being issued. Electronic cardholders are guaranteed extra security when using their cards over the internet.

One of the government’s main objectives is to achieve maximum security and respect for the privacy of citizens as well as making the new electronic IDs easy and straightforward to use.

The electronic national identity cards consist of a physical document which contains numerous secure elements. It is the first system in Spain which guarantees security for the card holder to authorize actions over the Internet or to prove their identity electronically.