In 2021, the European Parliament implemented an ambitious endeavor to roll out biometric national ID cards across the European Union (EU) to strengthen security and make it easier for people to travel between countries.
Poland is leading the charge in leveraging best-in-class fingerprint readers to not only get citizens promptly enrolled in the EU program, but also ensure important government subsidies reach those in need. The Chancellery of the Prime Minister discovered that tapping the right technology tool is truly transforming citizens’ lives.
Biometrics Bring Big Benefits to the People
To meet the mandatory EU Regulation, the Polish government deployed HID DigitalPersona 5300 fingerprint readers across 2,000 cities as part of its large-scale civil ID enrollment process.
In addition to meeting strict identity requirements and the added convenience of not having to carry a passport when moving within the EU countries, this biometrics-based program also plays a vital role in the daily lives of people residing in Poland.
“We quickly realized using HID’s DigitalPersona 5300 readers to capture fingerprints is a fast, simple, reliable and extremely efficient way to confirm identities for mass-processing initiatives,” said Janusz Cieszyński, Minister of Digital Affairs. “Integrating HID’s fingerprint readers into our national ID infrastructure is a game-changer as people benefit from its speed and convenience for ID verification.”
With a surge of refugees over the years, fingerprint readers have been especially useful in driving efficiencies around registering visitors and processing applications for the country’s coveted PESEL — the abbreviation for Poland’s Universal Electronic System for Registration of the Population. This 11-digit figure serves as a work, residence, education, medical and social services permit and is mandatory for all permanent and temporary residents of Poland.
For others living in the region, today’s economic circumstances have increased the need for social assistance, covering conditions such as unemployment, disability, poverty, homelessness, addiction, and child protection services. Fingerprint biometrics confirm individual identities, ensuring the right resources reach the right people at the right time.
Pressing Forward with Proven Biometric Identity Solutions
Biometric readers like the HID DigitalPersona 5300 enable Polish government officials to capture fingerprints of individuals and verify identities within seconds. These rugged, cost-efficient devices meet compliance and security requirements including GDPR and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Designed to meet the high-volume requirements of large-scale civil ID enrollment and authentication, the DigitalPersona 5300 offers superior image quality, complies with the FBI Mobile ID FAP 30 image quality standards and its advanced presentation attack detection (PAD) can catch spoofs and counterfeit fraud attempts.
“EU countries lead the planet in incorporating biometrics across a wide range of scenarios for identity verification,” said Mr. Cieszyński. “Our citizens can press on an easy-to-use sensing device, prove their identity in a matter of seconds and then move forward with their day.”
Fingerprinting is at the center of everyday interactions throughout Poland — helping to swiftly authenticate individuals as they go about their daily activities. At the national level, Poland demonstrates how innovative technologies, paired with proficient government programs, can support the well-being of citizens and visitors by efficiently and accurately confirming identities across diverse demographics and environments. On a global scale, initiatives like the EU national ID card program show that biometric identity standardization is not only possible — it’s just a couple of touchpoints away.
Additional Resources:
- Learn more about how HID powers Poland’s biometric National ID card >>
- Discover HID’s full portfolio of single fingerprint readers >>
- Explore HID’s biometric solutions for civil government >>
- Subscribe to the HID Biometric Beat eNewsletter >>
This article was originally published by HID.
