Concerns and Obstacles Remain Significant Surrounding the use of Digital Residence Permits in Europe

A majority of European countries have no plans to issue digital residence permits in the near future. This is evident from the comparative EMN-study on the digitalisation of identity and residence documents for migrants from non-EU/EFTA countries.

> Read the full EMN-study (comparison between 23 EU Member States and 2 EMN observer countries) 

Selective Use in Italy, Lithuania, and Poland

Like most EU Member States and EMN observer countries, the Netherlands does not currently issue digital-only residence permits or identity documents to migrants from non-EU/EFTA countries. Italy, Lithuania, and Poland are exceptions: they make selective use of digital-only documents. The direct reason for this was to facilitate the registration of large numbers of displaced persons following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Digitalisation Not on the Agenda

Almost no country has concrete plans to issue digital-only residence permits or identity documents to migrants from non-EU/EFTA countries in the near future. Only Germany, Finland, and Ukraine are currently experimenting with forms of digitalisation.

Fundamental Obstacles

Although countries acknowledge that digital documents can be more secure and save time and money, there are many concerns about the user-friendliness of digital-only documents. In addition, countries mention other fundamental obstacles and conditions for possible implementation including:

• the need to establish arrangements to ensure efficient (inter)national information exchange;
• action at an EU-level to develop a joint enforcement system for digital documents;
• adapting legislation to allow for digital-only residence permits or identity documents (Cyprus, Germany, Estonia, the Netherlands).