EU digital ID wallet deadline looming as most members lag behind
The EU’s December 24, 2026 deadline for a universal digital ID wallet is on track for only three of 27 member states, with the majority still far from compliance.
The European Union has imposed a December 24, 2026 deadline for all member states to launch a free digital ID wallet that can store national IDs, driving licences, diplomas, health insurance and bank details. While the EU asked countries to offer at least one certified wallet by the end of 2024, only three nations—Italy, Germany and the Netherlands—have delivered usable services, with Italy reporting nearly 8 million monthly users.
Germany plans a January 2027 launch and the Netherlands has pushed its rollout to late 2027 after a pilot saw just 57 users, while Bulgaria is still working on the necessary legal framework. The wallet relies on selective disclosure, unlikability and issuer-blindness, and its use remains optional alongside paper documents. Businesses must support the wallet by December 2027, and banks must comply earlier, from July 2027, to meet anti-money-laundering requirements.
A EU-funded pilot involving 350 organisations issued over 1,500 digital credentials and completed more than 8,000 cross-border transactions. The digital-rights organization EDRi has raised concerns that proposed regulations could require facial-recognition technology and weaken privacy safeguards.
Why it matters
The rollout affects how citizens and businesses across Europe will handle identity, payments and cross-border services.
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