The morning read on Europe's digital policy Monday 5 October 2026
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EU Digital Identity Wallet: the December 2026 deadline explained

Every EU member state must make at least one European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI Wallet) available to its citizens and residents by 24 December 2026. The date comes from the revised eIDAS regulation, which gives countries 24 months from the entry into force of the Commission's technical implementing acts on 24 December 2024. Private companies that are required to use strong user authentication, including banks, must accept the wallet by 24 December 2027, unless they are micro or small enterprises.

As of October 2026, only a few countries have a wallet in people's hands, and several have said they will be late. This page explains what the wallet is, the legal deadlines, the privacy rules and where the rollout stands.

What the EUDI Wallet is

The EUDI Wallet is a secure app, provided or recognised by a member state, that lets people prove who they are and share verified information online and in person. The main uses, as set out on the Commission's European Digital Identity page and in the regulation, are:

  • identifying yourself to public services and private companies across the EU;
  • storing and presenting documents such as a mobile driving licence, education certificates or medical prescriptions;
  • sharing only the attribute a service needs, for example that you are over 18, without revealing your full identity;
  • signing documents with a qualified electronic signature.

Under the law, the wallet must be free of charge for individuals and its use is voluntary. Public and private services must remain available by other means to people who do not use it. The legal basis is Regulation (EU) 2024/1183, which amended the 2014 eIDAS regulation.

Key dates

  • 20 May 2024: Regulation (EU) 2024/1183 enters into force.
  • 24 December 2024: the first five implementing regulations setting technical standards for the wallets, including Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2977, enter into force. This starts the 24-month clock.
  • 24 December 2026: each member state must provide at least one wallet.
  • 24 December 2027: private companies that must use strong user authentication by law or contract have to accept the wallet when a user chooses it.

Who must accept the wallet

Public bodies

Where a member state requires electronic identification to access an online public service, that service must also accept EUDI Wallets.

Regulated private companies

By 24 December 2027, private relying parties that are required by EU or national law, or by contract, to use strong user authentication must accept the wallet on the user's request. The regulation names sectors including transport, energy, banking and financial services, social security, health, drinking water, postal services, digital infrastructure, education and telecommunications. Micro and small enterprises are exempt from this duty.

Very large online platforms

Platforms designated as very large under the Digital Services Act that ask users to log in must also accept the wallet for authentication if the user chooses it, and may request only the minimum data needed. See our policy coverage for how this links to age-verification rules.

Privacy safeguards in the law

Articles 5a and 5b of the regulation set several protections that every national wallet must follow:

  • Selective disclosure: the user decides which pieces of data to share with each service.
  • No tracking by issuers: once a credential is issued, the issuer cannot obtain data that lets it follow or link the user's transactions unless the user explicitly allows it.
  • A transaction log: a dashboard shows every service the wallet has shared data with.
  • Complaints: users can report a service to their data protection authority directly from the wallet if a data request looks unlawful or suspicious.
  • Registered relying parties: companies that want to request wallet data must register in the member state where they are established and state what data they intend to ask for.

How it differs from today's national eIDs

Many countries already have digital identity apps or eID cards, but most of them were built to log in to national public services. Under the original 2014 eIDAS rules, cross-border recognition covered mainly public services. The EUDI Wallet goes further in four ways: it must work in every member state, it can hold verified attestations such as a driving licence or diploma next to the identity itself, it must support presentation in person as well as online, and certain private companies will be obliged to accept it. The regulation also requires wallets to be issued at assurance level "high", the strictest level in the eIDAS framework.

Rollout status by country, as of October 2026

There is no official Commission tracker of national launches, so the examples below rely on government announcements and press reports.

  • Denmark launched AltID in June 2026 as its national wallet, with proof of age and photo ID that work online and in person, according to Biometric Update. Users still sign in with MitID to create credentials.
  • Italy runs the IT-Wallet system, which Euronews reported had almost 8 million monthly users in September 2026.
  • Germany will launch its wallet, named d-you, in early January 2027 with 40 partners from business, academia and public administration, the federal government says. It will be free and voluntary.
  • The Netherlands has postponed its rollout to late 2027, according to Euronews.

In the same September 2026 report, Euronews said 24 of the 27 member states will miss the 24 December deadline and that only three had delivered certified wallets. The regulation does not set penalties for late member states; the Commission's general tool is an infringement procedure. Follow national rollouts in our GovTech section.

What businesses should prepare

  1. Check whether you are legally or contractually required to use strong user authentication; if so, plan to accept the wallet by 24 December 2027.
  2. Prepare to register as a relying party in the member state where you are established, stating how you will use the wallet and the minimum data you will request.
  3. Review the technical rules in the Architecture and Reference Framework and the open-source reference implementation published by the Commission.
  4. Look at the large-scale pilots: the Commission says over 550 companies and public authorities across 26 member states, Norway, Iceland and Ukraine have tested wallet use cases.

Frequently asked questions

When will the EU Digital Identity Wallet be available?

The legal deadline for every member state is 24 December 2026, but launch dates vary. Denmark and Italy already offer wallets, Germany plans to launch d-you in early January 2027 and the Netherlands has moved its launch to late 2027.

Is the EU Digital Identity Wallet mandatory?

No. Using the wallet is voluntary, and services must stay accessible through other identification methods for people who do not use it.

Does the EUDI Wallet cost money?

No. The regulation says issuing, using and revoking the wallet must be free of charge for individuals.

Do banks have to accept the EU Digital Identity Wallet?

Yes, from 24 December 2027 at the latest, banks and other companies required to use strong user authentication must accept the wallet when a customer chooses it. Micro and small enterprises are exempt.

What is d-you?

d-you is the name of Germany's state EUDI Wallet, announced on 9 September 2026. The federal government says it will launch in early January 2027.