EUDI Wallet Explained: EU Digital Identity Wallet Guide

EUDI Wallet: The EU Digital Identity Revolution – Are You Ready for 2027?

The EUDI Wallet (European Digital Identity Wallet) is a system that will represent you in the digital world and hold your official documents, from ID cards and driving licences to diplomas and certificates. It is based on the eIDAS 2.0 regulation, and every EU Member State must offer it to its citizens by 24 December 2026.

Will the digital wallet really change how we operate in the digital world? This guide explains what the EUDI Wallet is, how it works, when it arrives, and what it means for citizens and for businesses.

What is the EUDI Wallet (EU Digital Identity Wallet)?

Let’s start with the terminology. The EUDI Wallet is not a place where you keep money. Other names were considered along the way, such as “Personal Data Store”, “Identity Container” or “Digital Pouch”.

The wallet represents you in the digital world. First, it will guarantee your identity, which is already a big and important step. But what follows will fundamentally change how we store and share our data: all our digital assets, achievements, credentials and certificates will be stored in the wallet or accessible through it.

What is eIDAS 2.0 and why must every country offer a wallet?

eIDAS is the EU regulation on electronic identification and trust services (electronic signatures, seals and timestamps). Its 2024 revision, known as eIDAS 2.0 (Regulation (EU) 2024/1183, in force since 20 May 2024), requires every Member State to offer its citizens a European Digital Identity Wallet.

The wallet can be used across the Union, in both the public and private sectors. Use is voluntary for citizens, and the app is free of charge.

A new foundation for personal digital identity

What does it mean to be represented in the digital world? A parallel is the personal identification number that represents us in the physical world (in Croatia, the OIB). In the same way, every citizen will be assigned a unique identifier within the PID (Personal Identification Data). The PID is issued by the government or a government agency and is the foundation of personal digital identity.

A PID record contains, as mandatory fields, a basic set of data about the person:

• first and last name,
• date and place of birth,
• nationality,

Privacy and security: who sees your data?

The users, as wallet holders, keep full control over their privacy. They approve access only to the data required for a given purpose, such as KYC. All other certified attributes stay private and unavailable to third parties without their explicit permission.

For example, to prove you are of legal age, it is enough to show that you are over 18, without revealing your date of birth or name. Data is stored on your device, and access to the wallet is protected by a PIN or biometrics. If you lose your phone, the wallet can be revoked with the issuer.

How does the system work?

All data, which in wallet terminology are called “attributes”, must be authentic and certified. Only such data can be used and can represent a person, the wallet holder.

In Croatia, for example, driving licences are issued by the Ministry of the Interior (MUP). In the wallet ecosystem, MUP will be registered as a “qualified electronic attestation of attributes (QEAA) provider”. The wallet holder can request confirmation of their driving licence’s validity from MUP at any time. The confirmation arrives in real time, so any change in the licence’s status is immediately visible. A holder therefore cannot present a licence as valid if it has expired or been withdrawn after traffic offences.

What will citizens be able to do with the EUDI Wallet?

The regulation foresees many uses. The exact list of documents will depend on which institutions become attribute issuers, but commonly cited examples include:

• opening a bank account remotely, without visiting a branch,
• proving your age without revealing other personal data,
• presenting your driving licence in digital form,
• logging in to public and private online services with a single wallet,
• applying to a university or a job with a digital diploma,
• registering a SIM card and signing contracts with a telecom operator,
• storing health insurance certificates and other documents.

Electronic signatures and the EUDI Wallet: what changes?

In everyday speech, “digital signature” and “electronic signature” are often used interchangeably. Under the eIDAS regulation, an electronic signature can be simple, advanced or qualified. A qualified electronic signature (QES) has the same legal effect as a handwritten signature across the European Union.

The regulation provides that the wallet should allow signing with a qualified electronic signature, free of charge for non-professional use. For citizens, this means signing contracts and forms from their phone, without special card readers. Companies will be able to use qualified electronic seals for official documents (see the section on the business wallet below).

EUDI Wallet vs existing systems (national eID, e-ID card)

Many will ask how the wallet differs from what we already use to log in to public services. A short comparison:

Feature	Existing systems (national eID login)	EUDI Wallet
Reach	Mainly national public services	Across the EU, public and private sectors
Content	Login and user authentication	Identity (PID) and certified attributes: licences, diplomas, certificates
Data sharing	Depends on the service	Selective: only what is necessary is shared
Private sector	Limited use	Mandatory acceptance in regulated sectors (banks, telecoms…)

At first, the wallet will complement existing systems rather than replace them. Croatia’s electronic ID card already contains certificates for electronic identification and a qualified electronic signature. The wallet goes a step further: it can hold other attributes, share them selectively, and is designed for use across the EU, in both the public and private sectors.

When does the EUDI Wallet arrive?

The rollout schedule has been set by EU regulators:

Date	Milestone
20 May 2024	The European Digital Identity Regulation (eIDAS 2.0) enters into force.
24 December 2026	Deadline for every Member State to provide at least one official EUDI Wallet to all its citizens.
During 2027	Very large online platforms and critical private sectors must accept the EUDI Wallet.

During 2027, the following groups of businesses must accept the EUDI Wallet:

• Critical private sectors: systems legally required to perform strong customer authentication (SCA) or identity verification (KYC). This includes:
  • banks and financial institutions (account opening, transaction confirmation),
  • telecommunications (SIM registration, contracts),
  • energy and transport (airlines, railways),
  • healthcare and education (private clinics, universities).
• Very large online platforms (VLOPs): under the Digital Services Act (DSA), these are platforms such as Google, Facebook (Meta), Amazon, Apple and TikTok. They will have to accept the EUDI Wallet in their login systems.

KYC and digital identity verification with the EUDI Wallet

KYC (Know Your Customer) is the legally required verification of a customer’s identity carried out by banks, telecoms and other regulated companies. Today it often means visiting a branch, scanning documents or completing remote video identification, with a lot of manual work.

With the EUDI Wallet, the customer approves sharing only the attributes needed (for example name, address and proof of identity), and the company receives them already certified by the issuer. Expected benefits of this kind of digital identity verification:

• faster verification, in seconds instead of days,
• less manual work and fewer errors when re-typing data,
• no risk of forged documents, since attributes are verified with the issuer,
• a clearer record of what the customer has approved.

The wallet makes KYC easier but does not remove other legal obligations, such as anti-money-laundering rules. Companies still need to decide which data they need and how long they keep it.

How to take the first steps

As a citizen

• you can already see what the wallet app will look like and try out attributes and access permissions in the Namirial demo app,
• download the EUDI Wallet app and learn how to use it.

As a business

• upgrade your systems as soon as possible so they can accept the wallet. Ready-made gateway solutions exist on the market: they integrate with your business systems and enable communication with the EUDI app and cloud services. Usually only minimal changes to existing backend systems are needed,
• consider issuing your own digital wallet. This step is not essential for survival in a digitalised business world, but it adds to a modern company’s image. Some early adopters, including some European banks, have already decided to launch their own wallet, while most are still assessing the business case and return on investment. The decision is yours.

Checklist for banks, telecoms and other obliged entities

1. Determine whether you fall under an obliged category (SCA, KYC, VLOP).
2. Map the processes you want to open up to the digital wallet, for example: account opening, contracting, login.
3. Assess the complexity of integrating with backend systems and choose a gateway solution.
4. Define which attributes you want to use.
5. Pilot on one process before wider rollout.
6. Train employees and customers on the new way of doing business.

The business wallet: digital identity for legal entities

While most discussions today focus on the personal wallet, the business digital wallet is a revolution for legal entities. Companies will use it to store and present their attributes, such as a court register extract, a creditworthiness certificate and others.

Why does the business wallet matter for your company?

Introducing a business digital wallet brings companies four key advantages that directly affect operational efficiency and risk reduction:

• Real-time B2B trust: when forming new partnerships or signing deals, you no longer need to wait for document checks. A business wallet enables instant exchange of verified data about the company, authorised persons and their powers of representation.
• Automated public procurement and tenders: imagine applying to tenders without collecting dozens of paper certificates. All required documents (certificates of no criminal record, tax certificates, technical certifications) will be available as digital attributes in your business wallet.
• Easier cross-border business: companies can bid for tenders in other Member States because their attributes (certificates, e-seals) will be recognised automatically across the Union. This cuts bureaucracy, speeds up international partnerships and increases operational efficiency.
• Advanced e-seals and digital signing: a business wallet lets companies easily use qualified electronic seals. These ensure the integrity and authenticity of every document your company sends, from invoices to official letters.

Know your agent

The business wallet also opens up the option of managing AI agents centrally: defining which AI agent acts on the company’s behalf, who authorised it, and what its limits are — what it may do, in which systems and under which conditions. An added benefit is the ability to quickly revoke or change an agent’s authority, and to demonstrate regulatory compliance through certified trust services, an audit trail and qualified identity attributes.

Integration with existing processes

The business wallet is not just another app; it is an infrastructure tool. It connects to your ERP and CRM systems and enables:

• customer identity verification (KYC) in a few seconds,
• secure delegation of authority: clearly defining who in the company can sign contracts or access bank accounts through the wallet. A director can authorise a procurator or another employee to use certain company attributes, and the powers granted stay clearly visible and easy to track and adjust over time.

Glossary

• PID (Personal Identification Data): the basic set of personal data issued by the state, forming the foundation of digital identity.
• Attribute: a single certified piece of information about a person or company, such as a driving licence, a diploma or a court register extract.
• Qualified electronic attestation of attributes (QEAA) provider: an institution authorised to issue and certify attributes (for example, MUP for driving licences in Croatia).
• KYC (Know Your Customer): verification of a customer’s identity, for example when opening a bank account.
• SCA (Strong Customer Authentication): strong user authentication, legally required for example in electronic payments.
• VLOP (Very Large Online Platform): a very large online platform under the Digital Services Act (DSA).
• QES (Qualified Electronic Signature): the highest level of electronic signature, with the same legal effect as a handwritten one.
• E-seal: the digital equivalent of a company stamp, guaranteeing the origin and integrity of a document.
• Qualified trust services: services such as signatures, seals and timestamps that guarantee the authenticity of electronic transactions.

Preparing for the EUDI Wallet?

For more information on integrating the EUDI Wallet into your systems, or any other question about the digital wallet, feel free to get in touch. [Contact our experts]

 

Author: Dubravko Šimag