Three generations of eID in Denmark

MitID is Denmark’s third generation eID, with the first Digital Signature pilot project starting in 1999.

In 1999, the Ministry of Science carried out Denmark's first pilot project about a Digital Signature, the first generation of eID in the country. In 2015, Parliament passed the law that residents should use digital services when possible.

NemID

In 2010, the second-generation eID solution NemID was introduced. This served as a communal login for public and private self-service solutions and online banking. NemID consists of a user ID, a password, and a cardboard key card with one-time codes. User ID and password are something users choose and must memorise.

The key card is a small cardboard card the size of a credit card that users need to keep with them safely. The user enters a user ID and password and a code from the key card with each login. In 2018, NemID introduced an app to supplement the key card. By 2021, it had been downloaded and used by more than 4 million users.

Digital communication presupposes that residents can identify themselves securely when they need to access, e.g. their Digital Post. When using online self-services, authorities may require citizens to use NemID unless the person is exempt from digital self-service.

Read more about Digital Post

The app's introduction paved the way for the third-generation Danish eID, MitID.

Read more about MitID – a unique public-private partnership