Electronic ID card errors: Complete guide to solving them

Trying to complete an urgent procedure with the Public Administration and having your electronic ID card (DNI) fail is a scenario that no one wants to find themselves in, especially when the deadline is about to expire.

Although this tool is very useful for identification purposes, the various portals are extremely sensitive to configuration errors. This is not usually due to a lack of system security, but rather to obvious compatibility issues and technical glitches that are easy to fix if you know where to look.

In today’s article, we outline the most effective methods for resolving the most common electronic ID card errors that citizens may encounter and how to solve them.

First and foremost: Check the three basic technical pillars

When we try to complete a procedure with our electronic ID card and it does not work at all, it is normal to feel a certain amount of stress. Although throughout this article we will break down in detail the different reasons that can cause this inconvenience, we can tell you in advance that, in the vast majority of cases, they are due to software or expiry issues.

In any case, before attributing electronic ID card errors to any technical factors or specific errors, we must rule out the obvious. When using our electronic ID card, we overlook certain obvious issues that can affect our identification. We must rule out possible problems with:

• Hardware: Is the ID card inserted correctly? Is the reader we are using compatible? Sometimes the chip is not properly cleaned, and this can cause more problems than it seems. However, if you use DNIe 3.0 or 4.0 (the newest versions), and if the reader is NFC and you use Windows 10/11, sometimes it is not necessary to install manual drivers.
• Software: For our electronic ID card to work properly on the computer, we must have the appropriate cryptographic modules (driver, Minidriver or PKCS#11) installed according to the operating system. Without them, the computer is unable to understand and process the card’s chip. Also, remember that digital certificates expire, and in many cases this is the source of the problems.
• Browser: Bear in mind that each browser may behave differently. Therefore, if you are using Chrome, for example, we recommend that you try other browsers.

Checklist for troubleshooting electronic ID card errors

Are you currently experiencing problems with your electronic ID card? Most of them can be solved by following one of the technical steps outlined below:

• Restart your computer. The problem may be that some certificate sessions are active and therefore blocking access. Therefore, it is advisable to close all browser tabs that are currently in use and restart your computer.
• Try incognito mode. If the problem is related to the cache or old cookies, they could be interfering with identification on the Electronic Headquarters.
• Check that the ‘Smart Card’ option is enabled in Windows. Press the Windows key + R and press Enter. Search for ‘Smart Card’; its status should be “Running”. If it is stopped, right-click and select ‘Start’.
• Check the expiry date of the certificates in the DNIe. It seems obvious, but we often overlook it and forget to check the expiry date of the certificates we are using. You can check the expiry date from any Update Point (PAD) or from your browser, in the ‘Validate Certificate’ section within Valide.

Fixing electronic ID card errors depending on your browser

If you have tried to fix an electronic ID card error by following any of the above tips and have been unsuccessful, then the problem may be due to incompatibilities with the web browser you are using. Whatever browser you use, they all tend to cause the odd problem, but it is possible to fix them:

Connection error in Linux, Mac OS X, Windows or Mozilla Firefox

Regardless of the browser you are using, if the message ‘Connection error’ appears on your screen, it is because the DNIe is not installed correctly or the browser does not recognise it. To resolve this, follow these steps in any browser:

• First, close the browser session.
• Select the ‘signature’ certificate linked to the DNIe instead of the ‘authentication’ certificate.

If you have previously installed the appropriate drivers for your operating system, these steps should resolve the issues. If you do not have them installed, you must:

• Go to the ‘Download Area’ on the electronic ID card page.
• Download the drivers for your operating system.
• Click on ‘Cryptographic module for the DNIe’.
• Install the downloaded executable file following the instructions.
• Restart your computer.
• Try the procedure again

Problems with Mozilla Firefox when using the electronic ID card

Beyond the connection error that other browsers experience, Mozilla Firefox often causes other problems when using the electronic ID card:

Mozilla continuously requests the electronic ID card

When completing a procedure with the electronic ID card, the browser usually requests the PIN once; however, there may be situations where it requests it constantly, as is the case with the electronic ID card 3.0 on Mac.

To avoid this:

• Open Mozilla with the DNIe connected (or log in again if it was already open).
• In the browser window, select ‘Preferences’ > ‘Privacy and Security’ > ‘Security’ > “Certificates” > ‘Security Devices’.
• Log in from the module that detects the DNIe.
• Enter the PIN and check that the session is logged in
• Access the procedure

Mozilla Firefox does not detect electronic ID

Check the compatibility of the operating system and browser with the electronic ID, and install the cryptographic module that corresponds to the operating system used.

Other specific errors on the Electronic Office

Although network or browser failures are the most common, there are also more specific errors that respond to specific situations involving the user’s digital identity:

Certificate conflict

The browser may attempt to access with an expired, old or revoked digital certificate instead of the DNIe. To fix this, the quickest way is to delete the old certificate; although you can also try other options such as using incognito mode, clearing the SSL cache or disabling ‘continue running applications in the background’ if you use Chrome.

Blocked DNIe PIN

If you enter the electronic ID card PIN incorrectly three times in a row, the chip will be blocked for security reasons. You can unblock it by going in person to an Update Point (PAD) at a DNI Issuing Office.

Error ‘403 Access Forbidden’

Your access has been denied because the browser has sent an incorrect certificate (expired or from another user) or because the session has been ‘suspended’. To fix this, clear the SSL status, verify that you have selected the appropriate certificate (“Authentication” when you want to access, and ‘Signature’ to submit the document). Finally, if you use Chrome or Edge, disable the option ‘Continue running background options when closing the browser’.

Use a less dependent method as a last resort

After breaking down how to fix electronic ID card errors, you now know that most are due to software or expiry issues. These errors can be easily fixed by following the recommendations we have reviewed.

However, if after following all these steps your DNIe still fails and you need to complete your procedure urgently, the quickest alternative to avoid wasting time is to use the Cl@ve system. This system is much less dependent on hardware and browsers, allowing you to complete your procedure without having to deal with readers or physical certificates.