The EU Digital Identity Wallet: What You Need to Know
The European Union will soon introduce a secure and convenient digital wallet for its citizens and residents. The European Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet will let users verify their identity and safely store, share, and sign important digital documents. Here are 10 facts about the EUDI Wallet that offer insight into Europe’s digital future.
1. Available to all by 2026
The eIDAS 2.0 regulation requires all Member States to implement the wallet by 2026. This means every EU citizen and resident who wants to use the wallet will soon have access to it.
2. Digital IDs can be used online and offline
Users can store most digital documents in the wallet, including ID cards, driving licenses, academic credentials, and transportation passes. These digital IDs can be used both online and offline. Since digital IDs are optional, they will complement existing physical documents rather than replace them.
3. Led by the EUDI Wallet Consortium
The EUDI Wallet Consortium leads the development of the wallet. This group of public and private institutions establishes the technical and regulatory standards to ensure the wallet meets high-security criteria and complies with EU regulations. It also runs large-scale pilot projects and directly contributes to the EU-wide implementation of the reference wallet, helping refine its functionality and user experience.
4. Implemented at the national level
Every EU Member State will implement its own wallet app by developing it in-house, mandating a specific provider, or certifying selected wallets from private providers. All national wallets will be interoperable, share the same user experience and functionalities, and work everywhere in Europe. This way, countries can tailor the wallet to their local systems while giving everyone a consistent user experience.
5. The same technical specifications
All national wallets will be built according to the same technical specifications. EU Member States are collaborating on a common toolbox, which includes a technical Architecture and Reference Framework along with shared standards and specifications.
6. Strong security standards
The EUDI Wallet will use a secure element—like those already embedded in smartphones—to protect personal data. The secure element will store the wallet keys that encrypt sensitive information and prevent unauthorized access.
Depending on its certification, EU regulations define two security levels for the wallet: high and substantial. Each country must provide at least one wallet with a high level of security. Other wallets may offer slightly lower security for less critical tasks. For example, a healthcare-specific wallet may require high security, while simpler use cases may use more user-friendly versions with substantial security.
7. Enhanced privacy
The wallet prioritizes user privacy and gives individuals granular control over their identity, data, and certificates. Users can choose what information to share with governments or businesses for each transaction so that only the required data is disclosed. Additionally, there will be no centralized database: Each wallet will securely store its user’s information, reducing the risk of large-scale breaches.
Despite this strong focus on privacy, there is potential for improvement. Recent feedback from cryptographers proposes introducing more privacy-focused cryptographic techniques and redesigning certain elements of the wallet's architecture as the project evolves.
8. Multiple applications
The wallet will offer a range of services including authentication, electronic signatures, timestamps, and more. It will be used in governmental services, healthcare, banking, education, employment, travel, real estate, etc. For example, it will simplify cross-border medical care, job applications, and even everyday tasks like renting a bike.
9. Open-source license
The European Digital Identity Wallet is developed under an open-source license, which lets the public review and provide feedback to improve its security and functionality. However, Member States may limit the disclosure of some parts of the code for security reasons.
10. Still under development
The EUDI Wallet app is not yet available for download. The European Commission is running pilot projects and conducting tests to ensure the wallet is secure and user-friendly before its expected release in 2026.
For those with a technical background, the source code of the EUDI Wallet Reference Implementation is available online.
