Announced today at EthCC in Cannes, Self now supports biometric European Union IDs as valid forms of identification—expanding beyond biometric passports. With tens of millions of EU-standard biometric ID cards already in circulation across 27 countries, this update enables more people to verify their identity securely and privately through Self.

Self makes privacy-preserving identity technology accessible to everyone. The addition of biometric EU IDs expands the range of identity documents supported by the protocol. Users can now store both passports and national IDs, and selectively prove specific information, including age or nationality, without revealing personal details.

How it works:

• Download the Self app (iOS or Play Store)

• Scan your NFC-enabled EU ID card with the app

• Verify the digital signature of the document in Zero-Knowledge to register in Self.

• Your data is stored only on your device, never seen or owned by Self 

• With third-party requests, you can choose to prove snippets about yourself, such as age, nationality, or sex. Nothing can ever be shared without explicit consent.

• Your data stays secret, protected by deep Zero-Knowledge cryptography.

Why this matters:

National ID cards are widely used throughout Europe and are smaller, more portable options compared to passports. They are also more inclusive, bootstrapping a large portion of the population who don’t typically travel, a step towards reducing limitations Vitalik recently posted about around biometric passports.

• This expands Self’s accessibility, adding to the already 129 countries served through state-issued passport support and reaching tens of millions of biometric EU ID cardholders

• The integration brings Self to a broader user base and unlocks adoption for more apps, protocols, and wallets to add identity verification steps without compromising user privacy

Adding EU-standard biometric cards as a form of identity verification is a step forward in Self’s mission to make the tools necessary to onboard and interact with the onchain economy safer and more accessible for all. 

To learn more about Self and get started today, download the mobile app here: iOS + Android.