Slovakia ID card update affects 130,000 citizens

Approximately 130,000 Slovak citizens may lose the ability to use a qualified electronic signature (KEP) via their national ID cards. This issue affects ID cards equipped with the CardOS v5.4 chip, which were issued between June 2021 and November 2022.

The certificates for these specific electronic signatures are set to expire automatically on September 28, 2026. While the ID cards will remain valid for proving identity and logging into electronic government services, those requiring a full qualified electronic signature for official documents and submissions will need to apply for new ID cards at any Police Force identity document department.

An alternative option involves issuing a new qualified certificate for a recognized method of authorization. Additionally, the state has released an updated version of the eID client 5.4 application for Windows, macOS, and Linux to assist with electronic services, though this does not replace the KEP in legal situations where an officially certified signature is required.