The middleware of the Portuguese Citizen Card is a software suite that plays a vital role in ensuring Portuguese people access and navigate through their public services and administrative procedures. It acts as an intermediary layer between the card and the applications that want to access the information contained in it.
The Caixa Mágica Software IT company created it for the Portuguese ID Card as an open source, robust, and advanced middleware, driven by the need to enhance the digital functionalities of the card and strengthen security in online transactions.
The middleware uses the Qt Framework and the C/C++ programming language, combined with open source components such as OpenSSL and Poppler. Thanks to these solutions, the middleware meets the technical and functional requirements established by the Agency for Administrative Modernisation (AMA), the Institute of Registries and Notaries (IRN), and the National Printing House (INCM). The solution is comprehensively documented in repositories on GitHub.
According to Caixa Mágica description, their middleware enables certain features that make it easier for Portuguese citizens to navigate online and public services:
- Digital Signature: Facilitates the use of the Portuguese Citizen Card for electronically signing documents, contracts, and online transactions.
- Authentication: Enables citizens to use the Portuguese Citizen Card for secure authentication in online services, confirming the identity of the cardholder when accessing digital services.
- Integration: Allows the integration of the Portuguese Citizen Card with various government and commercial applications, making it a versatile tool for accessing digital services such as tax declaration, healthcare, and online banking.
The road so far - Citizens Card 2.0
The Middleware project started in 2011, whose first publicly available version came up in 2017, and received contributions from the Agency for Administrative Modernisation (AMA), Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado (IRN) and Imprensa Nacional Casa da Moeda (INCM). The middleware integrates services available through AMA. The Mobile Digital Key (CMD) is a means of authentication and digital signature certified by the Portuguese state. It allows the CMD holder to access various public or private portals and sign digital documents with a single login.
The Portuguese administration launched the latest version in 2024 as stipulated in the Government Order 169/2024/1 in order to comply with the following security technical standards: ISO 7810, ISO 7811, ISO 10373, ICAO 9303, ISO 14443; as well as the security requirements settled in the EU Regulation 2019/1157.
This new card began to be issued on 11th of June, while the previous model will remain valid until it expires.
