Key facts
The SFAO audited the electronic proof of identity (e-ID) programme for the second time. In this audit, the SFAO assessed the “e-ID issuance” and “trust infrastructure” projects, and the technical design of the Swiss e-ID’s IT security. The Federal Office of Justice (FOJ), the Federal Office of Police fedpol and the Federal Office of Information Technology, Systems and Telecommunication (FOITT) are responsible for implementing these projects. The trust infrastructure refers to the technical platform provided by the federal government for the processes associated with the use of a Swiss e-ID. The trust infrastructure is designed to be open so that other electronic proofs of identity can also be integrated into it.
Approximately CHF 182 million was approved for developing and operating the trust infrastructure, issuing the e-ID and pilot projects. Once the project is complete, annual operating costs of around CHF 25 million are expected. At the time of the audit, the Federal Act on Electronic Identity and Other Electronic Credentials (e-ID Act) was subject to a federal popular vote on 28 September 2025. The test version of the “Public Beta” e-ID and the “swiyu” mobile phone app have been running since the end of March 2025. Swiyu allows users to store electronic credentials such as e-IDs and present them digitally when making transactions.
The programme still has a number of key tasks to complete before the earliest possible launch of the e-ID in the third quarter of 2026. The SFAO is concerned about the number of issues still outstanding in the programme. It sees a risk that the stabilisation phase planned for the end of the programme could be misused as a time reserve for unplanned development or corrective work. Since, for risk reasons, the error-free nature and maturity of the product are more important than its timely introduction, the SFAO recommends that the stabilisation phase at the end be maintained in full. This should be done even if it means postponing the introduction of the e-ID.