The EU Digital Identity Wallet, explained

What is it?

Think of the leather wallet in your pocket: an ID card, a driving licence, maybe a student card or a health card. The EU Digital Identity Wallet aims to put official versions of those into a secure app on your phone, recognised across all EU countries.

It is based on an EU law, Regulation (EU) 2024/1183, adopted in May 2024, which updated the EU's earlier rules on electronic identification. The European Commission says each member state must make at least one wallet available, built to shared technical rules, by the end of 2026, and that it will be free for people to use.

What can it do?

According to the European Commission, the wallet is designed to let you:

• Prove your identity to public services and private companies, online and in person.
• Store and show digital documents such as diplomas, medical prescriptions and travel tickets.
• Sign documents electronically with a legally recognised signature.
• Authorise payments.
• See a dashboard of who you have shared data with, and ask a company to stop using it.

Large pilot projects, involving more than 350 public bodies and companies, tested uses such as opening a bank account, registering a SIM card, mobile driving licences and e-prescriptions. Reports also say banks and other regulated services will be required to accept the wallet for strong sign-in after the deadline.

The privacy idea: share only what is needed

Today, proving you are over 18 often means handing over a whole ID card showing your name, address and exact birth date. The wallet is designed around selective disclosure: you share only the fact that is needed, such as "over 18: yes", without revealing anything else.

The Commission says data is stored on your own device and that what you share cannot be combined with other data to track or profile you. That is the promise in the law.

Where are things up to?

Progress varies by country. Denmark launched its national wallet app in June 2026, according to a tracker of rollouts across member states. Others are piloting apps or upgrading existing national ID apps, and Germany's staged public rollout was expected to run into early 2027.

People involved in the pilots have raised honest concerns. Wallets only become useful once enough organisations issue documents to them and accept them, a "chicken and egg" problem. Some have also warned that people may approve data requests without reading them, much as many click "accept" on cookie banners. Not every privacy feature was fully settled by early 2026.

It is also worth being clear about what the wallet is not. It is a new option that member states must offer, and the sources we read did not say that physical passports or ID cards are going away. How each country handles choice, support for people without smartphones and help for those who struggle with apps will be important to watch.

If you live outside the EU, the wallet is still worth watching: other governments are developing similar digital ID schemes, and the same questions about privacy and choice apply.

What it means for you

1. Use only the official app. Your government will name it. Scammers are likely to make fake "ID wallet" apps and messages, so download from your country's official website or app store listing.
2. Read each request. If an online shop asks for more than it needs, such as your full address just to confirm your age, say no.
3. Protect your phone. A wallet is only as safe as the device it lives on. Use a strong screen lock and keep it updated.
4. Know your rights. The dashboard lets you see who has your data and ask them to stop.

Tip: Want to understand how digital identity and trust work under the bonnet? Read our note on zero trust basics.