EUDI Wallet: A practical guide for organisations
EU Member States are preparing for the rollout of European Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallets. Organisations therefore need to prepare for a future where EUDI Wallets, existing electronic identities (eIDs), and identity verification coexist.
To help organisations prepare, we've created a practical EUDI Wallet guide. The guide brings together the main topics covered during Signicat's recent EUDI Wallet webinar, explaining the key regulatory milestones, the hybrid identity landscape, and practical steps to get started.
What is the EUDI Wallet?
Under the revised eIDAS framework, every EU Member State must provide at least one certified EUDI Wallet with identity information to its citizens and residents. The EUDI Wallet creates a new way for people to identify themselves, authenticate, and sign digitally across public and private services.
EUDI Wallets can also store and share a wide range of digital documents, called attestations. These attestations are cryptographically signed, with the information backed by the organisation that issued the attestation. The level of trust needed depends on the issuer and the use case.
The EUDI Wallet also supports selective disclosure, allowing organisations to request only the attributes needed for a specific transaction. For example, it can provide age verification without disclosing a person's date of birth or identity.
What are the key regulatory milestones?
The transition to the EUDI Wallet is driven by the amended eIDAS regulation. Other European legislation also brings requirements related to identity verification and digital trust.
| Date | Milestone | What it means |
| November 2026 | Consumer Credit Directive 2 (CCD2) applies | Companies allowing customers to spread payments over time face stricter rules, including identity proofing and the use of advanced or qualified signatures. |
| December 2026 | EUDI Wallet rollout begins | Every EU Member State must provide at least one certified EUDI Wallet to its citizens and residents. Public sector services and Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) must accept these wallets for authentication, onboarding, and authorisations. EEA countries Norway, Liechtenstein, and Iceland have a one-year extension. |
| July 2027 | Anti-Money Laundering Regulation comes into force | Article 22 of AMLR links identity proofing requirements to eIDAS, pointing to EUDI Wallets, notified eIDs, and qualified trust services as the primary means for identity proofing. |
| December 2027 | Mandatory acceptance of EUDI Wallets | Organisations required by law or contractual obligation to use strong authentication must accept the EUDI Wallet as an authentication method. |
Why will different identity methods coexist?
EUDI Wallets will not replace today's identity methods overnight. Existing eIDs will continue to run alongside EUDI Wallets, while alternative identity verification methods will still be needed in countries with low adoption and for non-European customers.
Adoption and supported features will also differ between countries. Organisations therefore need to prepare for a hybrid identity landscape where different methods for identity proofing and authentication coexist.
How can organisations prepare for EUDI Wallets?
Start by understanding which regulatory obligations apply to your organisation and reviewing the services, flows, and processes affected. Organisations subject to AMLR should also review how their customer onboarding and identification processes support eIDAS-compliant electronic identification methods.
Organisations should then review their customer journeys and consider where EUDI Wallets could be used. The guide covers areas such as onboarding, signing, trusted data sharing, alternative identity methods, interaction channels, integration strategy, and relying party registration.
It also recommends a hands-on approach through proof-of-concepts and pilots to build practical experience with EUDI Wallets.