The European Union is on the brink of a digital transformation milestone with the introduction of the EU Digital Identity Wallet. This initiative aims to provide European citizens and businesses with a secure and seamless method to authenticate their identities and manage digital documents and identity attributes. Whether it's verifying identity for public services or storing travel tickets, tax numbers, or identity cards, the wallet promises to streamline interactions in both the public and private sectors.
By 2026, every EU member state will be legally required to provide this standardized digital wallet to its citizens, residents, and businesses. As this ambitious deadline approaches, large-scale pilot projects have been underway since 2023 to test the wallet's use cases, assess its real-world usability, and provide valuable feedback for refinement.
In this blog post, we’ll delve into the current state of these pilots, and what lies ahead on the path to full implementation.
You can find more details on eIDAS 2.0 and the Digital Identity Wallet in our blog post series:
- eIDAS 2.0 - Introduction to The European Digital Identity Wallet & The Evolution of Self-Sovereign Identity – January 2024
- eIDAS 2.0. Moving Closer - European Digital Identity Wallet (EDIW) and Pilot Implementation – June 2023
- eIDAS 2.0 - Roadmap, Toolbox, and The European Digital Identity Wallet Architecture – February 2023
Large Scale Pilots – testing the use cases of the EU Digital Identity Wallet (EUDIW)
There are four main large-scale pilots that are testing various use cases and customer journeys for the EUDIW in the real world and collect valuable insights, feedback, and lessons learned. The projects consist of private companies and public authorities across 26 Member States, as well as Norway, Iceland, and Ukraine.
Project 1: The EU Digital Identity Wallet Consortium (EWC)
For more details, visit the EU Digital Identity Wallet Consortium website.
Focus Use Case: Digital Travel Credentials
More information and status update:
The EWC concluded phase 1, covering travel and payment scenarios, publishing the following learnings:
- Varied acceptance: Wallet adoption depends on digital maturity, politics, and trust in each EU country.
- Citizen concerns: Users fear centralization, government overreach, and prefer trusted financial institutions.
- Usability issues: Familiar designs and offline access can address device dependency and access challenges.
- User feedback: Trials show the need for better user experiences and solutions for travel needs by 2026
More information (2-pager) available here >>
Project 2: POTENTIAL
Website: https://www.digital-identity-wallet.eu/
Focus Use cases:
- eGovernment Services
- Opening a bank account across borders
- Online SIM Card registration
- Mobile driving licence
- Qualified eSignature
- ePrescription
Project 3: NOBID
Website: https://www.nobidconsortium.com/
Focus Use Case: Payment, specifially
- Wallet issuing
- Payment means issuance (financial institution)
- Payment acceptance (retail or similar)
More information and status update:
NOBIS introduced several work packages to focus on:
- Digital Signing – December 2024
- Digital Payments – December 2024
- QEAA issuance – November 2024
- Onboarding Users – August 2024
- NOBID Wallet App – July 2024
These work packages defined the scope of work and are now (or will be) in the testing phase in 2025.
Project 4: DC4EU
Website: https://www.dc4eu.eu/
Focus Use Case:
- Education (issuance of educational credentials and professional qualifications)
- Social Security (portable document A1 (PDA1) and the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC))
More information and status update:
DC4EU defined work packages on:
- Project Management and Coordination
- Analysis, Planification, and Design
- Collaboration and Alignment
- Onboarding Base Identity
- The Education and the Social Security Domains
- Integrations and Development
- Ecosystem building & policy support
- Communications & Dissemination
In 2025, the DC4EU plans to
- Roll out all user journeys by end of February
- Complete large scale pilots by beginning of April
- Close the Project by mid of April
Security by design required: How to protect EUDI data
The EU Digital Identity Wallet shall be the one tool to use when it comes to proving your identity for online applications. With that the secure online communication needs to be granted. Therefore, the infrastructure requires a secure Cryptographic Device, supporting cryptographic algorithms and processes and provide a secure environment. This can be a Hardware Security Module.
Conclusion: Charting the Path Forward to EUDI wallet adoption by 2026
Looking ahead, the timeline for the wallet’s rollout is both ambitious and carefully structured. As the large-scale pilots conclude their testing and feedback phases this year, 2025 will focus on development, improvements, and monitoring under the guidance of the European Commission. By September 2026, EU member states will be mandated to deliver the EUDI Wallet to citizens, and trusted service providers must align with the new eIDAS 2.0 standards.
With the goal of achieving 80% active adoption by 2030, the EU Digital Identity Wallet has the potential to redefine digital interactions across the continent. The journey from pilot programs to full-scale implementation will serve as a benchmark for innovation and collaboration, paving the way for a more connected and secure digital Europe.