In this article, you will find answers and solutions to the most common questions related to NFC technology.
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By selecting „ID-card“, you must use an ID-card and a card reader connected to a smart device to sign, while by choosing „NFC“, you can sign contactless with the ID card, i.e. without a card reader. Read more about the NFC solution here.
Signing with ID-card using NFC
When signing with an ID-card using NFC in the RIA DigiDoc application, you will be asked for the ID-card's access number (CAN) and the ID-card's PIN2 code. The CAN number is a 6-digit code that is located under your picture on the ID-card. Enter the CAN and PIN2 code and press „SIGN“. Be careful: if you repeatedly enter the CAN number incorrectly (10 times in total), the NFC part of the card may be locked. When the CAN number and PIN2 are entered, a new view „Keep the ID-card near the phone“ will appear.
Location of the CAN number on the ID card, residence permit card and Digi-ID card:
After that, hold the ID-card in front of the phone until the card is read. As a rule, the phone's NFC reader is located on the top of the phone near the camera(s), but on some Android models, the NFC reader may be above the middle of the phone. NB! If the phone has a cover around it, it may prevent contactless connection to the ID-card. If your phone can connect to the ID card, successive views will appear: Contactless connection to the ID-card -> Read the certificate -> Sign the envelope -> Signature added.
iOS:
Android:
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An NFC tag is a small microchip located on a smart card, consisting of a copper part and a certain amount of storage space. Data can only be read from or written to this tag when another NFC device is brought close to it, as the tag has no power source. The proximity of the NFC device generates power in the tag and enables data transmission.
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Any device with a power source that has its own NFC antenna (e.g., a smartphone or tablet) can function as an NFC reader. The reader uses its battery to create an electromagnetic field that powers any NFC tags brought close to it. Another common example of a reader is a payment terminal that uses NFC to identify a debit or credit card. The data transfer between the chip card’s NFC tag and the phone’s NFC reader is encrypted, and the NFC reader connects to only one NFC tag at a time, preventing unwanted data transmission.
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If you have an iPhone (from 2015 or newer), it definitely has the necessary hardware for NFC. On an Android phone, you can check if NFC is available in the app settings, where under the “Connected Devices” or “Network and Sharing” submenu, you will find NFC. However, most newer Android phones support NFC.
For more information about NFC, visit the websites of the most common manufacturers:
- Apple
- Samsung (the location of the NFC antenna can also be found in the phone’s own settings)
- OnePlus
- Sony
- Google Pixel
If your phone’s manufacturer is not listed here, please check the manufacturer’s website to see if the device supports NFC and how to use it.
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NFC cannot be turned off on iPhones, as this functionality is always enabled by default. Since the phone’s NFC reader consumes very little battery, turning off NFC wouldn’t save much energy (unlike turning off Wi-Fi or Bluetooth). On Android devices with NFC, it can usually be turned off from the settings menu if needed.
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NFC technology is widely used in payment solutions (including Google Pay, Apple Pay, etc.) and is considered a more secure method than, for example, traditional EMV card transactions. The security of NFC technology is ensured by the use of access credentials and encrypted data transmission, as well as the fact that NFC connections can only be established with very close contact between NFC devices.
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Estonian ID-cards issued since 2018 (by the manufacturer IDEMIA) can establish a data exchange channel using an NFC reader (e.g., a phone). The FID/NFC functionality is specifically designed for the ID-card to enable data reading via proximity communication. The data reading is secure: data can only be read via the PACE security channel, and the ID-card does not return a single unique identifier through NFC. Instead, the identifier is generated randomly for each session (according to the requirements of the standard applicable to eMRT documents). When the NFC reader (phone) detects the NFC tag (on the chip card), the CAN number must be entered in the application (e.g., the application used for signing, RIA DigiDoc) to create a security channel and initiate communication between the NFC reader and the tag. The CAN (Card Access Number) is a six-digit code printed on the ID-card, located below the photo on the front of the card. The CAN number is printed on the card and cannot be changed. It is used to create a security channel between the card and the application and to encrypt data exchange.
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If a similar notification appears when signing with NFC, it should be turned off in the device settings to continue signing. Generally, this option should be located under “Connections” -> “NFC” in the phone settings. Once the notification is disabled, try signing again.
