Chip in the identity card: What is stored on it?

In the new identity card, which almost everyone now has, there is a chip on which your data, i.e. address, name, and title, are stored. Your photo is also stored on the chip and you can have your fingerprints stored. The chip can only be read with an online certificate and your pin.

How exactly does the chip in the ID card work?

On the chip, your data is stored in encrypted form and can then only be read out with a valid certificate, which must be retrieved online. The exact process of reading is a bit more complicated.

1. You show the ID card at an authority or company and thus identify yourself.
2. Now you put the ID card on a reader and it is checked online whether the reader is authorized to read your ID card.
3. Now the CAN, which is on the identity card, is entered or you enter your pin and the data is decrypted by the device and passed to a PC or other device.

So generally a certificate and an online connection are necessary when reading the chip. Should a person steal your ID card, this person has the information that is on the ID card chip anyway. However, if the thief also has your pin, they can use it to make online purchases. So always keep a close eye on your identity card.