Swiss e-ID postponed again as Bern puts security before the launch date

The state digital identity approved by voters in September 2025 will not arrive on 1 December 2026 as planned; the Federal Office of Justice has set no new date, while the trust infrastructure is expected in the first half of 2027.

Newcomers to Switzerland hoping to open a bank account or prove their age with a phone will have to wait. According to the Federal Office of Justice, the introduction of the state e-ID has been postponed and no new launch date has been set. The decision, announced on 30 June 2026, was attributed to additional security work needed because of risks linked to artificial intelligence, such as deepfakes and malware. On 3 September 2026 the Justice Minister told the Advisory Council Digital Switzerland that security comes first and that this is why the e-ID was delayed.

The postponement overturns the timetable of February 2026, when the target was to go live on 1 December 2026 despite a budget cut of CHF 1.7 million for 2026 decided by Parliament. That cut had already forced the programme to drop connection to international e-ID systems, a federal back-up service and the issuing of the e-ID in third-party wallets; it will only be held in the federal swiyu wallet.

The e-ID has had a narrow path from the start. Voters approved the Federal Act on Electronic Identity on 28 September 2025 with 50.39 per cent in favour, 1,384,586 yes votes against 1,363,362; the Federal Council validated the result by decree of 30 April 2026, after the Federal Supreme Court had disposed of complaints from several cantons.

What is still planned matters for anyone moving here. According to the programme's official questions and answers, the e-ID is free and optional, complements the physical identity card, and can be ordered by everyone living in Switzerland, foreign residents included, using the Swiss residence permit card as the identity document. The planned process is to install the swiyu wallet app, scan the document and record a short face video; the e-ID is usually issued within minutes, though in-depth checks can take a few days, and it can be added to up to 8 devices during the application.

There are limits. The e-ID is only valid in Switzerland and is not recognised by foreign authorities, for instance at a border. Future uses include proof of age, opening a bank account and ordering a criminal record extract, and the government login AGOV will add it as a login factor once it is available.

The Federal Office of Justice says the trust infrastructure is expected to become operational in the first half of 2027 regardless of the e-ID date, and that the Federal Council will then bring the e-ID Act into force at least in part, for example for the electronic driving licence. Until then, keep your permit card handy.

Sources: Federal Office of Justice, e-ID programme: New Timeline for the Introduction of the e-ID and the Trust Infrastructure, 30 June 2026; Federal Office of Justice, e-ID programme: Strengthening acceptance of e-ID with additional measures, 25 February 2026; Federal Office of Justice, e-ID programme: questions and answers on obtaining the e-ID; Federal Gazette, Federal Council decree of 30 April 2026 on the result of the popular vote of 28 September 2025; Federal Chancellery, AGOV public authorities login, questions and answers, read 24 September 2026.

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