Testing, strengthening, coordinating: 2025, a pivotal year ahead of the introduction of e-ID
In 2025, preparations for e-ID – electronic identity – at fedpol reached a milestone: a beta version allowed the infrastructure to be tested under real-world conditions, while fedpol established the National Identity Service, responsible for issuing the e-ID. A coordinated collective effort, ahead of the launch scheduled for late 2026.
Who hasn’t, at least for a brief moment, wanted to invent a new identity or borrow an existing one? This was possible for a few months – and perfectly legal. With the Beta-ID, the Swiss Confederation allowed the general public to create a fictitious identity to test the environment of the future electronic identity.
For the development teams, this phase served as a full-scale test. For fedpol, it was part of a broader initiative. In 2025, preparations for the introduction of the e-ID, scheduled for 1 December 2026, had made significant progress, both technically and organisationally.
fedpol’s role in the e-ID process
fedpol will verify the identity of applicants and issue the e-ID based on data from the identity and civil status register records. In the swiyu Wallet app, the user scans their ID document and uploads their details (surname, first name, date of birth, document number), then records a short video (liveness check) to verify that the applicant is a real person. A reference photo is extracted and compared with the image in the identity register. If everything matches, the e-ID is issued to the user’s smartphone in a matter of minutes. An alternative option will remain available: applicants can have their identity verified on-site, for example at the passport office or with the relevant identification authority.
Beta-ID: a public test to evaluate the infrastructure
The Beta-ID, launched in spring 2025, served as a large-scale ‘testing ground’. By simulating real-world usage, it allowed for the observation of system behaviour, the testing of features, and the identification of necessary adjustments. For fedpol, the agency responsible for issuing the future e-ID, this phase served to adapt and optimise the relevant systems, as well as the IT infrastructure. The main challenge is to run the test environment while simultaneously developing the final version, through successive improvements carried out in sprints, following the Agile methodology.
What is a sprint?
In the field of IT, a sprint according to the Agile methodology is a short, defined period of work during which a team focuses its resources on a specific objective. This makes it possible to quickly develop, test and improve a feature, fix a specific issue and achieve tangible results in a short space of time, for example, for implementing the user interface during on-site verification. At the end of a sprint, a functional or improved version of the product is usually available.
The National Identity Service: a new structure at the heart of the system
In addition to the technical aspects, fedpol also began setting up the National Identity Service in 2025. The roll-out of the National Identity Service is to continue in 2026. Specialists from this service will oversee the issuance and management of e-IDs throughout their entire lifecycle. They will handle cases that require manual verification when automation is insufficient. This service will also contribute to supporting and monitoring the proper functioning of online verifications. Random checks or checks based on suspicion will complement the system.
Leveraging synergies
The National Identity Service will be able to draw on existing expertise, particularly within fedpol’s biometric identification division. Some of this expertise, particularly regarding identity verification using facial images, overlaps with that employed in the AFIS2026 project.
Preparations are also taking place beyond fedpol. More than 100 people from various federal offices are involved in the e-ID programme. fedpol is working closely with the Federal Office of Justice (FOJ), which coordinates the programme, to ensure compatible and consistent developments. The same approach applies to support: the Federal Office of Information Technology and Telecommunications (FOITT) will handle access issues and user problems, while fedpol will step in at the second level for more complex cases related to e-ID issuance or situations that cannot be resolved with standard responses.
“I am very pleased with the progress of the work related to the implementation of the National Identity Service. However, one key and particularly formative step remains: the internal testing phase within the Confederation, scheduled to begin in July 2026. This phase will be crucial to ensuring we are ready for the launch, scheduled for 1 December 2026.”
Isaline, project manager for the implementation of the National Identity Service