Once, in order to retrieve a public document, it was necessary to reach the nearest branch of the municipality or public body and wait patiently in line, along with many other people. Fortunately, technology is moving forward and, even in Italy, it is possible to access (in many municipalities and public bodies) all the necessary documents simply by using the digital identity or SPID. Thanks to this tool we will be able to present ourselves at the online counter as if we were "in flesh and blood", given that we will provide the site with a certificate of identity linked to our personal documents (therefore we provide proof that it is we who request access to the service).
Whatever your need with public bodies, in this guide we will show you, step by step, the entire procedure to activate SPID, so you can ask any type of online application or access services related to the public administration (INPS, INAIL, Revenue Agency etc.).
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SPID is not a simple combination of username and password: it is our access key to public services, therefore extremely personal. We do not write codes or references to the SPID anywhere and we rely on our memory or encrypted files to store the most important information, since restoring access to an SPID could be more difficult than simply recovering the password made with other online sites.
1) Choice of the SPID provider
The SPID service is offered by some online providers who, in collaboration with the Italian State, allow any citizen to obtain their digital identity quickly and easily.The providers authorized to provide SPID credentials to private citizens are:
- Aruba ID
- PosteID
- Infocert ID
- TIM ID
- SPID Register.it
- SIELTE ID
- Namirial ID
- Understanding ID
- Lepida ID
All these services are free, but each provider can foresee a cost if they choose remote activations via webcam or to obtain a higher level of security. In any case, the simple activation of the SPID with the basic profile (without any additional functionality) is always free . We then choose the provider that we consider suitable for our needs and proceed with the rest of the guide.
We remind you that it is not necessary to already have an active product with one of these providers: we must not already have a card or an account of the Italian Post Office, a domain or a PEC on Aruba or a SIM TIM in order to use them as a provider, given that the digital identity is a different product managed together with the Italian State.
2) Requirements for the SPID
Before proceeding to the actual registration, we check that we have the following requirements:a valid email address (no temporary emails!)
an active mobile phone number (preferably a smartphone)
a valid identity document (one of: identity card, passport, driving license or residence permit)
the health card with the tax code
The procedure is very similar among all providers, very little changes:
- We will have to enter the personal data
- Our SPID credentials will be created
- We will have to carry out the recognition to certify the digital identity
The most important step is obviously that of recognition, given that only thanks to it will we be able to certify that the SPID is ours.
3) SPID recognition methods
To confirm our SPID we will have to carry out the recognition of the natural person; currently there are 5 methods to certify your digital identity.- In person, by going to an SPID activation office
- Via Electronic Identity Card (CIE)
- By National Service Card (CNS or health card)
- By digital signature
- Via Webcam (for a fee, where available)
The most practical recognition methods are those in which we go in person to the office or via Webcam, but the problems can be other in these cases: the office could be very far from home and an additional cost is foreseen via Webcam .
The fastest methods are obviously those related to documents with digital certificates such as the Electronic Identity Card and the National Services Card but require special readers to be connected to the PC (to be purchased separately), while the digital signature is convenient for those he already uses it to sign documents online and for the PEC. Based on what we already have and our needs, we can choose the most effective recognition method for our SPID.
- If we create the SPID with Poste Italiane, we can carry out the recognition by bringing the documents (tax code and identity card, even on paper) with us to any post office immediately after the registration made online. The other providers have offices scattered throughout Italy, but they can also be very distant (in some cases they are present only in Rome and Milan, making them uncomfortable for those who do not live near these cities).
- If we do not want to move from home and we are not in a hurry, we can buy a special smart card reader to use the health card or electronic identity card to carry out the recognition, since both contain a personal digital certificate inside their chips.
- If we are in a hurry and we want to activate the SPID immediately, we choose the activation via Webcam and pay the requested sum, so that we can get the digital identity ready in a few minutes.
- If we already use the PEC and the digital signature, we can immediately use it to obtain the SPID in a few minutes.
- If we are already Bancoposta account holders, we can activate the SPID with the post through the registration with the Poste ID account, without leaving home.
4) Hardware and software required for SPID
If we want to do everything from home, we will also need to obtain the appropriate hardware and software to be able to correctly recognize it.For the recognition via Webcam, any camera, even the one integrated on laptops, may be fine; if we use a desktop PC and we don't have a Webcam yet, we can immediately add one, like the one available here -> AUKEY Webcam (€ 30).
Alternatively we can find the webcam suitable for our computer by reading our buying guide -> Best wireless cameras and HD webcam from PC .
If instead we want to proceed with the recognition by smart card, we will have to purchase a specific reader based on the type of card we intend to use.
- For the health card used for CNS (with the chip visible), we will have to buy a smart card reader like the one available here -> Bit4id miniLector EVO Indoor USB 2.0 White smart card reader (€ 13).
- For the electronic identity card 3.0 (recognizable by the absence of the black magnetic bar on the back) we will have to buy an NFC or Contactless smart card reader, such as the one available here -> Yosoo NFC ACR122U Contactless Reader / Writer (36 €).
Both cards have a PIN, to be provided when connecting to the PC or upon recognition.
The PIN of the health card can be requested from the ASL closest to home; a part of the PIN will be delivered to you immediately, the other part will be delivered to you by email (we will have to combine the two codes).
The PIN of the electronic identity card is also provided in two parts: the first part is provided together with the documents of the municipality (at the time of subscription or renewal), the second part will be provided, together with the card, among the documents shipped to the user's home (also in this case we will have to gather the codes to obtain the unique PIN)
In addition to the hardware part, a special program called Driver middleware is also required, released by the Italian State in order to correctly access the data stored in the cards.
- If we intend to use the CNS health card, we download the right driver from the official website, taking care to download the specific one for the type of card in possession (just read the integrated code on the logo at the top left).
- If instead we want to use the electronic identity card, simply download the only driver from the official website.
5) Test test for smart card readers
Once the hardware and software are installed, we can perform a smart card recognition test directly from the institutional website offered by the Tuscany region, which can be used by all Italian citizens (not necessarily resident in Tuscany) -> Secure Tuscany network access.
We open the site linked at the top and click on Authenticated access at the top right, select (in the following screen) the entry Enter with CIE or Enter with CNS .
A small confirmation window will open; now insert the card in the smart card reader (in the case of the contactless reader, simply place the card and leave it still on the reader) and press the Enter key.
If everything has been done correctly, we will see another window in which we are asked for the card PIN: insert it and wait for the redirection, confirming that the site has been accessed.
Now we have everything we need to be able to create the SPID!
6) Activate SPID
In this last chapter of the guide we will show you all the necessary steps to be able to activate the SPID via smart card, i.e. the most comfortable and practical method for those who want to do everything from home without having to go around the office or without using the webcam.
The procedure is very similar for all providers, only the interfaces and the colors of the buttons change.
First we connect the specific smart card reader, then we open the page of the provider chosen for activation (for this guide we will show you Aruba ID and Poste Italiane).
On Aruba ID, we select the Natural person field, we leave the items on Basic configuration configured and we click Next on the side.
If instead we want to use the PosteID system offered by Poste Italiane, click on Register now, then choose the recognition method among those offered.
For the purpose of the guide we select, in both cases, the entry relating to recognition by smart card (i.e. TS-CNS for Aruba and the National Services Card or Electronic Identity Card on the Italian Post).
The following screens are very similar to each other: we will be asked to provide our personal data (including email and telephone number, essential for secure access), to choose the login data for the SPID and to confirm the order, checking one last time all the data entered.
In the recognition screen (having chosen recognition via smart card), we will be asked to insert the card in the reader and to enter a part of the PIN of the chosen card, so that recognition can be completed quickly.
At the end we will receive a confirmation message and an email with the final instructions, including verifying the email and the telephone number provided, the latter necessary to be able to receive the disposable codes to be used for each access.
If we have chosen one of the other supported recognition methods, the specific screen with which to start the video call via Webcam will appear or we will be given the address of the office to go to.
Depending on the provider chosen, we will have the SPID ready after a few days of waiting, necessary for the verification of the data entered.
At the end of the checks, we will receive an email with the SPID access data, to be used, for example, on the INPS website or the Revenue Agency website, just to give two examples.
7) SPID security
The security of the SPID is very high since, in addition to the credentials created with the chosen provider, we will be asked to enter a single-use code, sent to the user via SMS or generated via a specific OTP app (depends on the provider).
If we have obtained the SPID and we tend to access any site that supports it, we will have to keep the phone with the number registered with the provider or with the OTP app configured at hand: at the appropriate time we will also have to enter the generated code or sent to be able to confirm identity and access.
8) Conclusions
Activating the SPID is quite simple and the supported recognition methods are able to meet the needs of any citizen.
In order not to run into problems and errors, we recommend using Poste Italiane or Aruba as provider if we want to proceed with the recognition in person or through the CNS Health Card ; if instead we wanted to use the new Electronic Identity Card 3.0, the only providers supported at the time of writing the article are Namirial ID and Lepida .
