Italian electronic identity card
Encyclopedia
The Carta d'Identità Elettronica (Italian Electronic identity card, in Italy identified with the acronym CIE), is a personal identification document
that is replacing the paper-based ID card in Italy. The first Italian electronic ID cards (EIC) were issued in 2001. As of 1 January 2006 the Italian government requires that paper based ID cards are replaced by EICs. By the end of 2009 1.8 million Italian citizens have obtained EICs.
According to provisions of the Italian constitution only the Italian municipalities can supply identity cards to citizens. Therefore the EIC issuing system is distributed among the municipalities allowing each of them to give the EICs directly to their citizens. The Ministry of Internal Affairs supplies the required network infrastructure, software updates and security architecture. As a consequence the required issuing system is more complex than centralized ones used by other countries or for other electronic cards. Recently many municipalities joined the EIC system and currently about 180 municipalities are equipped to issue EICs. The system allows smaller municipalities to collaborate with nearby larger ones in order to reduce printing cost. The potential user base is estimated at about 50 million.
The Italian EIC is intended for both online and offline identification. Therefore, apart from the printed information, data for identification are stored on a microchip as well as a laser band. Specifically, the microchip contains a digital certificate for online authentication and (optionally) a certificate for digital signatures. The Italian EIC is explicitly designed to give access to e-government services and will become the standard for access to online services offered to Italian citizens by public authorities. The technical specifications for the Italian identity card have been developed by the Italian Ministry of Internal Affairs in collaboration with the University of Rome, Tor Vergata. The most recent legal document regarding Italian EIC standards and requirements is the Decreto Ministeriale n. 229 del 8-11-2007.
1. Issuing municipality;
2. Last name
3. Given name
4. Place of birth
5. Date of birth
6. Sex
7. Number of birth registration
8. Height
9. Municipality of residence
10. Address
11. Issuing date
12. Expiration date
13. Nationality
14. Fiscal code
15. Signature
16. Validity to travel
The card also contains the following items:
The microchip contains the information of all the fields printed on the card, the digital version of the photo, digital certificates issued by the Certification Authority of Ministry of Internal Affairs. On the chip there are also the optional fingerprint templates and the infrastructure required for digital signatures.
The University of Rome Tor Vergata, on behalf of Ministry of Internal Affairs, therefore developed all necessary software updates to extend the validity of the card. This involves both an update to the expiration date printed on the card surface and adding a new digital certificate with the extended expiration date to the chip. The image below shows an example of the back surface of an extended card.
This solution, introduced in May 2009 was successfully implemented in the city of Aosta in September 2009. The formal authorization to extend this solution to all municipalities by the Ministry of Internal Affairs is expected in the near future.
Identity document
An identity document is any document which may be used to verify aspects of a person's personal identity. If issued in the form of a small, mostly standard-sized card, it is usually called an identity card...
that is replacing the paper-based ID card in Italy. The first Italian electronic ID cards (EIC) were issued in 2001. As of 1 January 2006 the Italian government requires that paper based ID cards are replaced by EICs. By the end of 2009 1.8 million Italian citizens have obtained EICs.
According to provisions of the Italian constitution only the Italian municipalities can supply identity cards to citizens. Therefore the EIC issuing system is distributed among the municipalities allowing each of them to give the EICs directly to their citizens. The Ministry of Internal Affairs supplies the required network infrastructure, software updates and security architecture. As a consequence the required issuing system is more complex than centralized ones used by other countries or for other electronic cards. Recently many municipalities joined the EIC system and currently about 180 municipalities are equipped to issue EICs. The system allows smaller municipalities to collaborate with nearby larger ones in order to reduce printing cost. The potential user base is estimated at about 50 million.
The Italian EIC is intended for both online and offline identification. Therefore, apart from the printed information, data for identification are stored on a microchip as well as a laser band. Specifically, the microchip contains a digital certificate for online authentication and (optionally) a certificate for digital signatures. The Italian EIC is explicitly designed to give access to e-government services and will become the standard for access to online services offered to Italian citizens by public authorities. The technical specifications for the Italian identity card have been developed by the Italian Ministry of Internal Affairs in collaboration with the University of Rome, Tor Vergata. The most recent legal document regarding Italian EIC standards and requirements is the Decreto Ministeriale n. 229 del 8-11-2007.
Card Description
The Italian EIC contains the following fields:1. Issuing municipality;
2. Last name
3. Given name
4. Place of birth
5. Date of birth
6. Sex
7. Number of birth registration
8. Height
9. Municipality of residence
10. Address
11. Issuing date
12. Expiration date
13. Nationality
14. Fiscal code
15. Signature
16. Validity to travel
The card also contains the following items:
- Italian Republic logo;
- Unique identification number of the card
- Photo of cardholder
- Security hologram
- Laser strip
- The microchip
The microchip contains the information of all the fields printed on the card, the digital version of the photo, digital certificates issued by the Certification Authority of Ministry of Internal Affairs. On the chip there are also the optional fingerprint templates and the infrastructure required for digital signatures.
Validity
According to the Law 133/2008, the validity of Italian Identity Cards has retroactively been extended from 5 to 10 years.The University of Rome Tor Vergata, on behalf of Ministry of Internal Affairs, therefore developed all necessary software updates to extend the validity of the card. This involves both an update to the expiration date printed on the card surface and adding a new digital certificate with the extended expiration date to the chip. The image below shows an example of the back surface of an extended card.
This solution, introduced in May 2009 was successfully implemented in the city of Aosta in September 2009. The formal authorization to extend this solution to all municipalities by the Ministry of Internal Affairs is expected in the near future.