EU Digital Identity Wallet
The EU Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI Wallet) is a mobile identity wallet defined in European Union law to let people and businesses prove who they are online and share verified attributes across the EU. It is created by Regulation (EU) 2024/1183, which amends the eIDAS framework to establish a European Digital Identity, and by a suite of Commission implementing regulations adopted on 28 November 2024 that specify the wallet’s core functions, data, interfaces, and certification.[1][2][3][4][5][6] Member States must make at least one wallet available and recognise those issued by other Member States. The Council adopted the legal framework on 26 March 2024, following Parliament’s first-reading adoption on 29 February 2024; the act was published on 30 April 2024 and entered into force on 20 May 2024.[7][8][9] BackgroundThe wallet builds on the 2014 eIDAS Regulation on electronic identification and trust services, which enabled cross-border recognition of national eID schemes.[10] In June 2021, the Commission proposed a “European Digital Identity” framework with a personal digital wallet; Parliament and Council reached political agreement in November 2023, with formal adoption in early 2024.[11] Legal frameworkThe core act is Regulation (EU) 2024/1183, which amends eIDAS to establish the European Digital Identity and requires Member States to offer an EU Digital Identity Wallet to citizens and residents who request one.[12] Five implementing regulations adopted on 28 November 2024 specify:
Architecture and standardsThe Commission’s Architecture and Reference Framework (ARF), maintained with the European Digital Identity Cooperation Group, describes the ecosystem, roles, data models, cryptography, and conformance testing for the wallet.[18] The ARF and implementing rules reference established technical standards, including the W3C Verifiable Credentials family and ISO/IEC 18013-5 for mobile driving licences.[19][20] Data and credentialsWallets hold two main types of data:[14]
The ARF provides a PID rulebook aligned with the legal text to promote interoperable implementations across Member States.[21] FeaturesImplementing rules require that wallets enable user-controlled, privacy-preserving sharing of attributes; support offline and online presentation; and implement integrity, logging, and portability safeguards.[13][15] Member States are expected to recognise wallets across borders for accessing public services, while the framework also targets high-value private-sector use cases such as KYC in finance and mobile driving licence presentations based on ISO/IEC 18013-5.[22] Security and certificationWallet solutions must undergo conformity assessment under schemes defined in the implementing regulation on certification and related references (building on the EU cybersecurity framework).[17] The Commission and Member States coordinate technical specifications and testing through the European Digital Identity Cooperation Group and ARF workstreams.[23] Implementation and pilotsSince 2023, the Commission has supported several large-scale pilots to trial wallet use cases (e.g., travel, education, social security, payments) with public administrations and private partners across Member States. Examples include the EU Digital Wallet Consortium (EWC) for digital travel credentials and other consortia under the Digital Europe Programme.[24][25] Timeline
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