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Spain goes digital with mobile ID app, but it won't work for foreigners

For the moment, the miDNI identity application excludes people with NIEs

From 8am on Wednesday April 2, citizens of Spain will be able to download the MiDNI application to their mobiles from their app store. The free app will allow people to access their DNI (National Identity Document) on their phones and use it for all sorts of administrative procedures, rather than carrying the physical card. However, for the time being at least, NIE cards won’t work on the app, so it will be of no use to foreign residents.

A DNI (Documento Nacional de Identidad) is a national identity document issued to Spanish citizens and certain groups of non-citizens. An NIE (Número de Identificación de Extranjero), on the other hand, is a unique identifier number issued to foreign nationals in Spain.

The Spanish government hasn’t given any explanation as to why foreign residents are excluded from the new digital ID system.

What is the miDNI app for and how does it work?

Essentially, the digital DNI can be used for most of the same procedures as the physical card. According to the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, in the initial phase the app will be used to identify oneself and carry out in-person procedures, such as “voting, opening a bank account, or signing deeds before a notary.” It can also be used to check into a hotel, identify oneself at a cultural event, prove legal age or rent a car.

For now, it will only be valid in Spain and cannot be used for travel or identification abroad. It also won’t replace electronic signatures or work for identity verification online, but this is coming down the line during the second phase, which will be enabled in 2026.

In fact, from April 2 next year, everywhere will be obliged to recognise the new digital format as a legitimate form of identification – public administrations and other companies and businesses have been given 12 months to adapt to the app.

It should also be noted that the app won’t work without an internet connection or mobile data.

Is miDNI safe?

The short answer is ‘yes’. The MiDNI app has been validated by the National Cryptologic Centre (CCN) certification body, as well as by the Spanish Data Protection Agency.

According to the National Police, the app “makes it impossible to falsify the data sent to the device by the security force. In the event of a stolen phone, the app will not reveal the citizen's data, as accessing it requires the owner's password and fingerprint.”

Furthermore, the police maintain that the data reflected by the app will not be stored on the phone. They also report that the National Police will not record usage data nor will they identify where the app is used by geolocation.

How to obtain a digital ID

To obtain a digital DNI, you'll need to register, download the MiDNI app and activate it. The registration process can be carried out in three ways: with your electronic DNI through the website midni.gob.es; at the National Police's Document Update Points (PAD) (which, for the first time, will be located in town halls and police stations); and at any Documentation Unit (UNDOC) when obtaining or renewing a physical DNI.

Once the registration process is complete, citizens can download the app. To do so, they must have iOS version 14 or Android version 10.0 on their smartphone. To activate it, you’ll be asked to set an eight-digit password and enter your fingerprint or enable facial recognition.

What information will it display?

The app will provide users with three options depending on the level of information they need.

The first will serve to prove the age of the person, showing only the citizen's photo and date of birth. The second will open a ‘simple’ document format with name, surname, gender, date of birth, DNI validity and the photo.

The third level will present all of the information contained on the physical DNI card.

There is no indication when, or indeed if, the miDNI app will be adapted in the future to include foreign residents who hold NIEs.

Image: Ministerio del Interior

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