Amendment to the Identity Cards Act: changes to deadlines and e-registration.

The introduction of new identity cards featuring fingerprints and the holder’s signature stems from the need to align Polish regulations with Regulation (EU) 2019/1157 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019. This includes, among other things, the harmonisation of national laws in this area. However, the deadline for implementing the amendments has been extended. Originally, the Sejm had planned to introduce the new form of documents from 2 August. Currently, the exact date is not yet known and will be specified in due course.

Services without leaving home

A statement by the Secretary of State for Digital Affairs in the Chancellery of the Prime Minister has been published on the government’s website regarding this matter.

– “Everything we do has one aim: we want Poles to be able to handle as many official matters as possible without leaving home. We are working to make our e-services simple and intuitive. All this so that even those taking their first steps online can use them” – said Minister Janusz Cieszyński.

– “All currently available e-services can be found on the GOV.pl portal. Soon, new ones will appear, including those many Poles have been waiting for. All of this is thanks to the regulations adopted by the Council of Ministers on Tuesday,” he added.

What will change?

After these changes are implemented, individuals who own property (and wish to register residence online) will no longer need to prove ownership. Verification will take place automatically, without the involvement of an official processing the application. This will make the whole process even faster and more convenient.

Another change is a new e-service – the ability to download a certificate from the PESEL register containing a full or partial extract of our data and our children’s data. Once the new regulations come into force, obtaining such a certificate will be possible immediately.

The regulation will also introduce two digital-format fingerprints into the ID card, except for ID cards of persons under 12 years of age and those from whom fingerprints cannot be taken. The fingerprints will be collected at the office. In addition, the ID card will also include the holder’s signature, with a few exceptions, including for persons under 12. The visual layer of the ID will also change.

An identity card issued to a person under the age of 12 will be valid for 5 years from the date of issue. An identity card issued to a person who has reached the age of 12 will be valid for 10 years from the date of issue.

Following the changes, it will not be necessary to replace existing documents. The amendment provides that ID cards issued before the changes will remain valid for the period for which they were issued, but not later than 3 August 2031.

Not only ID cards – procedural improvements to e-services

According to information from the government website, the new regulations will also introduce an e-service allowing everyone to download information on recipients of their data from the Identity Card Register and the PESEL Register. The service will allow you to check events that occurred within five years from the date of their occurrence. Importantly, only we will be able to check who receives our data or data about a child under our parental authority. No one else will have this possibility. We already have the right to request such information, and the state is obliged to provide it. However, obtaining this information is not currently automated and, despite being requested electronically, requires an official’s involvement. Once the new regulations come into force, not only will it be easier to obtain information on data recipients, but the waiting time will also be significantly reduced. The information will be provided immediately.

And who can be a recipient of our data from the Identity Card Register and the PESEL Register? This is defined by Article 4(9) of the GDPR. According to this provision, a recipient may be a natural or legal person, public authority, agency, or other body to whom the personal data are disclosed, whether or not they are a third party. That’s the theory. In practice, this includes entities such as the National Health Fund, the Social Insurance Institution, and the Polish Post, among others.

Deadlines

Information regarding the date of implementation of the technical solutions enabling the issuance of an identity card containing fingerprints will be published in the Journal of Laws and on the Public Information Bulletin website of the Minister for Digital Affairs at least 14 days before the entry into force.