How can the reliability of ID-cards and other digital documents be guaranteed?

Everything becomes worn out when heavily used. In order to guarantee that your ID-card or other digital document, such as digital ID, lasts for as long as possible, keep it safely in a place meant for this purpose.

Sudden changes in temperature, radiation, humidity and long-time exposure to direct sunlight may damage the chip of the ID-card (and other digital documents). Don’t leave your card on the windowsill or in the car or on a summer terrace, and take your wallet out of your pocket before you go swimming or put your rain-soaked trousers in the sauna to dry!

Both the plastic and chip of the card are prone to mechanical damage: you should never bend or twist it on purpose. Has it occurred to you that you may accidentally damage the card if you keep it in the pocket of your trousers or loosely in your handbag? All sharp items also pose a threat to the card. Scratches and cuts can easily appear if the card is not kept securely in a wallet/card holder – you should also be careful with the poppers and zippers on a wallet and any other sharp items placed in the ID-card compartment ‘for a bit’, such as paperclips, safety pins, badges, etc.

Keep your card dry! If you ID-card gets wet, dry it as quickly as possible. Sweet or corrosive liquids, incl. coffee, carbonated drinks, etc., are particularly dangerous. Never use chemicals or water to clean your card if it has become dirty! Wipe the dirt off the card with a soft cloth; the cloths used to clean glasses are perfect.

Protect your ID-card from water, chemical substances and their vapours, ionising, ultraviolet and x-ray radiation and electrical charges, and don’t place it in a strong electromagnetic field.