As a global leader in digital government, Estonia has entrusted Zetes with the issuance and lifecycle management of its electronic identity certificates. The solution ensures high availability, regulatory compliance and future scalability for one of the most advanced eID ecosystems in the world.
Estonia is widely recognised as a pioneer in digital government, offering citizens and residents secure access to a broad range of online services through its electronic identity (eID) infrastructure. The Police and Border Guard Board (PBGB) oversees the issuance of national ID documents and manages the trust framework underpinning the country’s digital identity ecosystem.
Challenges faced
To comply with public procurement regulations and maintain alignment with evolving EU standards, PBGB periodically re-tenders its trust services contracts. With the previous contract nearing its end, Estonia faced a strict deadline with a short implementation period. PBGB and Zetes had 16 months to ensure a seamless transition to a new trust service provider in time to begin issuing next-generation identity documents by a strict deadline of 15th November 2025.
Solution & Process
Following a competitive public tender in 2024, Zetes was selected to deliver qualified trust services via its local entity, Zetes Estonia. Operating under Estonian law, the company implemented a comprehensive Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and now manages the issuance and validation of electronic certificates for a broad portfolio of identity documents, including:
- Estonian citizen ID cards
- EU citizen ID cards
- Residence permit cards
- Diplomatic identity cards
- e-Resident cards
Each card is issued with a pair of certificates, one for authentication and one for signing, supporting both secure access and qualified electronic signatures. Zetes’ platform has all the key components needed to manage digital certificates securely. It includes systems that create and manage the certificates, tools that check in real time whether a certificate is still valid, and a directory service that allows others to look up and verify certificates when needed. This ensures that digital ID cards can be used safely and reliably for online services. Critical systems are deployed with geographic redundancy across Estonia and Belgium to ensure uninterrupted service, even during local infrastructure incidents.
The transition to Zetes' services followed a structured approach with joint planning between PBGB, Zetes, and the card producer. A two-week pilot tested the whole chain, from card production to certificate issuance and real-world service integration, ensuring a smooth go-live with zero disruptions.
Results & Benefits
Estonia now benefits from a resilient, future-ready digital identity infrastructure backed by certified, qualified trust services. The solution supports approximately 300,000 new identity documents per year, with eID usage exceeding 15 million government authentications and 7 million digital signatures annually.
With the solution in place, PBGB is assured of long-term operational stability, performance transparency, and scalability for future eID extensions such as the EU Digital Identity Wallet or other cross-border trust frameworks.
Reasons for choosing Zetes
Zetes offered a proven experience, and full compliance with eIDAS regulation. The company’s track record as Belgium’s federal QTSP operator since 2020, combined with its ability to tailor high-assurance infrastructures, aligned well with Estonia’s strategic digital objectives. Zetes Estonia was established specifically for this project to ensure complete regulatory alignment and proximity to PBGB’s operational teams.
“The continuity and reliability of our digital identity services are critical for both public trust and national security. Zetes has proven to be a capable and dependable partner, delivering a complex infrastructure under tight timelines and regulatory expectations,” Liis Valk, Head of Identity and Status Bureau at Police and Border Guard Board.
“We are proud to support Estonia, a true benchmark in digital governance, with our Qualified Trust Services. This collaboration reflects our commitment to helping governments deliver secure, high-performance digital identity ecosystems that serve citizens every day. Establishing Zetes Estonia reinforces our long-term dedication to local presence, compliance, and excellence.” Bart Crols, President of Zetes People ID
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