Abstract The Belgian Electronic Identity Card (eID) was introduced in 2002. The card enables Belgian citizens to digitally prove their identity and to sign electronic documents. Today, only a limited number of citizens really use the card in electronic applications. An important reason is the lack of killer functionality and killer applications. This paper presents two reusable extensions to the Belgian eID technology that opens up new opportunities for application developers. First, a secure and ubiquitously accessible remote storage service is presented. Second, it is shown how the eID card can be used to issue new certificates. The feasibility and reusability of both extensions are validated through the development of several applications in different domains. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.