A biometric ID card in the pipeline
Knock, knock, bang, zip zip zip: At the facilities where Swiss identity documents are produced, the machines are running at full capacity. With just a few months to go before the introduction of the Swiss biometric identity card, preparations are intensifying.
There are sounds of clicking, buzzing, whirring in the workshops where the identity card moves from one stage to the next like a little train on its tracks, at a perfectly regulated speed. Lights flash, mechanical arms spring into action, and specialists check every detail with precision. We are at one of the sites where the new Swiss ID card is being produced. Today, Olivia, a project manager, is meeting with colleagues from the Federal Office for Buildings and Logistics (FOBL) for a follow-up meeting. The goal is to finalise all the details before the future Swiss biometric ID card goes into circulation, scheduled for 2 November 2026.
What is a biometric ID card?
For many years now, Swiss passports have contained an electronic chip embedded in the cover. The principle will be similar for the new ID card; however, the chip will not be visible, as it will be embedded between the document’s laminated layers. Chip-enabled cards differ from non-chip cards by the CAN (Card Access Number), which provides secure access to the facial photograph and personal data, as well as the international ‘Chip Inside’ symbol, indicating the presence of a chip.
A dual option
The introduction of the new biometric ID card is scheduled for 2 November 2026. This card will contain a chip with two fingerprints and the holder’s photograph, just like the current passport. It will be issued alongside the non-chip ID card, which will remain available for those who wish to keep a non-biometric document. The details of this dual option are explained in this video.
Precision at the heart of the process
Producing an identity document requires meticulous preparation and advance coordination to ensure that everything is ready on the day it is put into circulation. The project manager works out the details with the production sites and consults with legal experts to ensure that the legal framework aligns with the technical realities. She also coordinates preparatory work for the rollout with the relevant issuing authorities cantonal authorities in the cantons and at Swiss diplomatic missions abroad. Everything must be planned down to the last detail so that, when the time comes, the cards can be issued to citizens without a hitch.
Schweizer Know-how
At the production facility, which manufactures both Swiss identity cards and passports, an expert points out an almost imperceptible flaw to Olivia: the machine responsible for sewing the passport’s security thread missed its final stitch. To the naked eye, the difference is almost imperceptible. But not to these trained eyes that check quality at every stage. This standard is no trivial matter: the more precise the manufacturing, the harder it is to forge. Rigorous quality control directly enhances the security of identity documents – and, consequently, the safety of their holders.
Biometric ID cards versus e-ID
The two products are distinct and independent, but they are sometimes confused. The biometric ID card is a physical document. It is used for day-to-day identification and also allows travel within the Schengen Area.
The e-ID is a free supplement to the physical ID card and is also expected to be introduced by the end of 2026. This is an electronic identity that allows you to identify users to identify themselves in the digital world and is available via the swiyu Wallet app on their mobile phone. The e-ID is not a travel document. The e-ID website contains a wealth of other useful information about this project run by the Federal Office of Justice (FOJ). fedpol is participating as the issuer of the future e-ID. Here too, preparations are well under way.
“The security of the new smart ID card and the responsible use of the data it contains are, for my team and me, the top priority. Sensitive information is protected and may only be accessed for clearly defined and legally authorised purposes. That is how we create a trustworthy form of identification.”
Olivia, project manager for the biometric ID card