Applying for university across borders with eID
Full speed ahead towards your future
Applying for universities is a key moment for young people across the EU — a step that can shape the rest of their careers. Many choose to study abroad, in EU countries, for a richer experience in which they can learn new subjects while getting immersed in a different culture.
In the majority of EU countries, although applications can be performed online, the process depends on the university one is applying to. But in a number of Member States, a centralized online process was already set up in order to ease the admissions process.
For some of these, proceedings got even easier with the introduction of eIDAS eIDs that facilitate the cross-border authentication of the applicant’s identity.
What is eID and how does it work?
Countries across the EU have developed national electronic identity schemes to improve citizen’s access to national services. But all these national eID systems had differing security mechanisms and were based on different philosophies, lacking cross-border recognition and validation.
To address this, an EU approach, underpinned by the eIDAS Regulation, has been set up. CEF eID now provides the standards and supports the infrastructure (the eIDAS network) which allows these national eID schemes to be mutually recognisable.
A network of eIDAS nodes has been set up across all EEA Member States, based on these standards. This means that an ever growing number of notified national eID schemes can now be used to identify citizens who wish to access different public services in other EU countries.
An overview of the countries already providing notified eID schemes under eIDAS can be found here.
Where can you apply for university with an eIDAS eID?
If you have an eID from a notified eID scheme, you can start using it right away to access online public services in EU countries. The list of notified eID schemes is growing rapidly — currently 19, across 15 Member States. 1
Countries which have already connected their University Application service to the eIDAS network make it possible for citizens from other EU countries to access it, using a notified eIDAS eID.
Here are some examples of where this is already possible:
Slovenia
Prospective students can browse different types of courses from universities around the country in the EVŠ web portal, where they can also submit their application. Log-in is available with the Slovenian eID (SI-PASS) or an eIDAS eID.
Croatia
Croatia’s central portal for university applications provides a range of information about studying possibilities, comparisons between courses, the labour market and even the current demand for different degrees. Applicants can use their national ID or an eIDAS eID to log-in.
Other countries where you can use an eIDAS eID to apply for university
If you know of another EU Member State where this service can be accessed using an online eID, contact us with the details and we will add them to the list.
If you do not yet have an eID from a notified eID scheme, but are a citizen from one of the countries that already provide them, you can consult the overview of notified eIDs across the EU and apply to get one.