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AMLR, eIDAS, and video identification in Europe

Header AMLR, eIDAS, and video identification in Europe.

Summary

From 2027, the AMLR makes eIDAS the new standard for remote client identification in Europe. Is your firm ready for the transition?

27/02/2026

From July 2027, the European Anti-Money Laundering Regulation (AMLR) will reshape how European firms verify the identity of their clients remotely (Article 66, AMLR). The European Banking Authority (EBA) has made clear in its latest consultation paper that eIDAS-compliant digital identification, such as app-based NFC checks or the online ID function, will become the new standard for remote customer due diligence. Video identification, long a popular and widely accepted method under German AML (GwG) rules, will be demoted to a strictly defined fallback option, only permissible where eIDAS-compliant solutions are unavailable, unreasonable, or disproportionate.

For obligated entities this signals an urgent need to review and update existing onboarding and identification processes. As eIDAS-compliant solutions become more accessible and user-friendly. Firms are advised not to wait until 2027: the technical and organisational transition requires early preparation to ensure both regulatory compliance and a seamless customer experience under the new European framework.

 

Source: Johannes Wirtz & Chantal Raab, Bird & Bird – Video identification only as a fallback: EBA is shifting to eIDAS (January 2026).

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