On 5 December 2023, the time has come: ID Austria will go into regular operation, replacing the mobile phone signature (Handy-Signatur) as the official electronic proof of identity of the Republic of Austria. From this date, registration for many public services (such as FinanzOnline) will only be possible with ID Austria. The ID Austria also serves as an electronic signature and enables certain ID cards to be carried digitally.
For users of the Service u:sign – signing digitally nothing will change on 5 December for the time being. You can log in to u:sign with your u:account UserID and password anyway. And you have been able to sign PDF documents in u:sign with both ID Austria and a mobile phone signature (Handy-Signatur) for some time now.
Both types of electronic signatures will still be possible after 5 December. "As long as the mobile phone signature certificate is valid, you can continue to use it in u:sign," says Sophie Riegler, the responsible project manager from the ZID. "Users can easily check the validity online."
If the mobile phone signature has not initially been registered by the authorities, it is necessary to go to the registration office to switch to the full version of ID Austria. Nevertheless, Sophie Riegler recommends to not wait until shortly before the certificate expires before making the switch: "The ID Austria is already used in over 200 online applications by public authorities and has practical additional functions that the mobile phone signature cannot offer."
Detailed information on registering for ID Austria can be found at oesterreich.gv.at.