Digital solutions for communication with public authorities do not work across Nordic borders
Digital identification and signature solutions used by citizens and businesses to communicate with public authorities do not always work across Nordic borders.
Border Issue Status: Registered in the Border Database
This problem is registered as a border issue in the Border Database, run by the Nordic Council. It has also been prioritized by the Freedom of Movement Council. This border issue has been discussed at the highest political level and constitutes one of the prioritized areas in the Nordic Council’s Action Plan for mobility for 2019-2021.
Several digital solutions, such as e-signatures and electronic identification, are used in the Nordic countries. Examples include the Danish electronic identification solution NemID, which has since been replaced by MitID, and the Swedish electronic identification solution BankID. At national level, these solutions simplify administrative procedures, reduce costs and shorten processing times for citizens, businesses and public authorities.
However, these solutions have not been developed to work across Nordic borders. Individuals and businesses may therefore need to attend a physical meeting to access certain services. Businesses may also be required to have a specific legal status. As a result, some businesses based in another country cannot access or use the digital administrative infrastructure of the country concerned.
Access to digital services such as electronic identification can make cross-border mobility easier for people who, for example, work in a country other than the one they live in or who have recently moved to another Nordic country.
Mutual recognition of the different solutions for electronic identification and digital signatures used in the Nordic countries would make it easier for citizens and businesses to access digital public services in another country. This would improve cross-border mobility for both individuals and businesses in the Nordic region.
Nordic citizens should be able to use their own secure electronic identification solutions, such as personal identification numbers and electronic identification, regardless of where they live.
