Applying for a pension just got a lot easier thanks to eID
Requesting your pension online is now easier in the EU
EU Member States provide pensions to citizens and residents to ensure their quality of life during retirement and old age. According to EU rules, citizens who have moved from one country to another can receive the full pension rights they have accumulated by working in several countries. They merely need to apply to the pension authority in the EU country they reside in.
In order to ease the application process for pensions, many Member States have already made it available online. In some Member States, it is now possible for EU citizens to access this online application using an eIDAS eID.
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 a pension 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 Pension Request 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:
Slovakia
The Social Insurance Agency provides a range of social services, from sickness and accident insurance, to unemployment benefits and pensions. These services are made available over a single electronic portal where users can log-in using either their national Slovakian eID or an eIDAS eID.
Slovenia
The Slovenian Pension and Disability Institute (ZPIZ) is responsible for both social insurance and pensions, providing an online portal that citizens can access with an eIDAS eID. Visit it to apply for a pension, get information on pension rights and insurance data, among other services.
Other countries where you can use an eIDAS eID to apply for a pension
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.