Belgium
In 2001, the Belgian government decided to issue an electronic identity card to all citizens as part of a programme to improve and modernise its e-government services. To put this ground-breaking project into action, in 2002 the National Register asked Zetes to design, produce, and personalise the Belgian eID. Over the years, the contract was extended to other types of cards, and it was renewed in 2018 following another invitation to tender issued by the Ministry of Interior. Since 2019, Zetes’ services also include the issuing of the authentication and signing certificates contained in the chip of the eID.
A trusted partner, able to respond to technical and security requirements
One of the biggest challenges in deploying the eID was to appoint a competent partner capable of handling all the phases
of the project. The production of ID cards requires a high level of security, because it involves handling sensitive data concerning
citizens. The Belgian authorities chose Zetes for its expertise in the implementation and management of the extremely secure production and personalisation phases.
ICAO and eIDAS: compliance with international standards
Originally intended for citizen authentication inside national borders, the function of the ID card itself has evolved over
time and must now satisfy a number of international standards.
In 2018, Zetes’ ZetesConfidens division was declared compliant with eIDAS standards. Since then, it has obtained the status of Qualified Trust Services Provider (QTSP). Internationally, the alignment with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards has ensured that the eID is accepted as a travel document. The photograph and the contactless chip are the main elements of the card that are relevant to this compliance.