Telecom operators to replace SIM cards for Estonia’s Mobiil-ID users

More than 220,000 Mobiil-ID users in Estonia must replace their SIM cards by 19 May 2027 to continue using the service, ERR reports. The change is required because of an update to the European Union’s eIDAS regulation on electronic identification and trust services.

The Estonian Information System Authority said mobile operators would gradually replace the SIM cards that support Mobiil-ID. The service will remain available, and its operating principles will not change.

Mobile operators will notify Mobiil-ID users who need to replace their cards. They will publish detailed instructions for replacing the SIM card and reactivating Mobiil-ID through their official channels.

Silvia Lips, an expert in the authority’s electronic identity department, said the state aimed to ensure that people continued to have at least two reliable electronic identity tools.

“When using electronic services, it is worth having at least two electronic identity tools,” Lips said. “This makes it possible to continue using e-services if one tool needs to be renewed or replaced, or is temporarily unavailable.”

ID cards, Mobiil-ID and Smart-ID can all be used to identify people electronically and provide qualified electronic signatures that are legally equivalent to handwritten signatures.

The authority also warned that scams could become more frequent during the Mobiil-ID renewal period. Fraudsters may pose as mobile operator employees or direct people to fake websites to obtain their PIN codes.