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Austria’s digital identity system, ID Austria, is expanding its role by making it easier for users to act on behalf of family members, other individuals, or businesses through a digital power of attorney system.
The change strengthens the use of digital authorizations within Austria’s e-government framework, allowing people to complete selected official procedures and administrative tasks online for others while using their own ID Austria credentials.
Under the system, authorized individuals do not log in using another person’s access data. Instead, they authenticate themselves with their own ID Austria and, where permitted, carry out transactions on behalf of the person or organization that granted them authority.
Digital powers of attorney add an important layer to the digital identity infrastructure by clearly indicating who a user is authorized to represent. The range of actions available depends on the specific online service and the permissions granted.
For private individuals, authorizations can be managed through the ID Austria service “Meine Vollmachten” (My Powers of Attorney). The platform enables users to issue, review, and revoke digital powers of attorney. According to trust service provider A-Trust, both the person granting the authorization and the person using it must possess an ID Austria account or a recognized electronic identity from another European Union member state.
The system also supports business representation. This includes both legal representatives whose authority is recorded in official registers and authorized representatives managed through Austria’s Business Service Portal (Unternehmensserviceportal).
Digital powers of attorney can already be used across several online government services. These include ELGA, Austria’s electronic health record platform, JustizOnline, selected social insurance services, electronic delivery services, and online offerings from Agrarmarkt Austria.
Within JustizOnline, authorizations may be used for activities such as electronic case inspections or legal submissions. In ELGA, they support access to certain applications related to electronic health records. However, not every digital procedure can automatically be conducted on behalf of another person. Users must ensure that the relevant online service supports representation and that the necessary authorization is in place.
The system is designed to make digital representation transparent and traceable. Users authenticate with their own ID Austria, then select the person or company they are authorized to represent. This ensures that authorities can clearly identify who performed a specific action and under what legal basis the representation occurred.
A-Trust, which provides the qualified electronic signature used within ID Austria, said secure digital identities are a key requirement for reliable electronic representation.
“Crucially, it must remain clearly traceable in the digital world who is acting and on what basis a representation is taking place,” said Markus Vesely, CEO of A-Trust GmbH.
According to the company, digital powers of attorney can simplify situations in which family members, employees, or professional representatives need to conduct online administrative procedures for others, helping to further expand the practical use of Austria’s digital government services.
- source: heute.at/picture: id-austria.gv.at
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