eIDAS 2.0

eIDAS 2.0 is the widely used name for the updated European electronic identification and trust service framework created by Regulation (EU) 2024/1183. The regulation amended the original eIDAS Regulation from 2014 and introduced the legal foundation for the EU Digital Identity Wallet.

The wallet will allow citizens, residents and businesses to hold and present verified identity information, digital documents and electronic attestations of attributes across supported public and private services in the European Union. eIDAS 2.0 is an informal name. The formal legal structure remains Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 as amended by Regulation (EU) 2024/1183.

What was the Original eIDAS Regulation

The original eIDAS Regulation established common EU rules for electronic identification and trust services. It created a legal framework for electronic signatures, electronic seals, timestamps, electronic registered delivery and website authentication certificates. It also allowed Member States to notify national electronic identification schemes. Other Member States were required to recognize qualifying notified schemes for access to certain public services.

The framework improved legal recognition of electronic transactions but did not require every Member State to provide a national electronic identity. Cross-border use remained limited. National systems differed in availability and technical design. Private-sector acceptance was not broad enough to create a reusable European identity for everyday digital services.

What Changed Under eIDAS 2.0?

The amended framework requires Member States to provide at least one EU Digital Identity Wallet. The wallet expands digital identity beyond access to government websites. It is intended for public and private services, online and offline.

Users will be able to manage person identification data and electronic attestations of attributes. The framework also expands the trust service environment. It covers electronic attestations of attributes, electronic ledgers and services linked to remote electronic signature or seal creation devices. Common technical rules, certification requirements and relying-party processes are intended to make wallet solutions interoperable across Member States.

What is the EU Digital Identity Wallet?

The EU Digital Identity Wallet is an electronic identification means through which a user can manage and present trusted identity information. It may contain personal identification data, electronic attestations of attributes and digital documents.

A person could use the wallet to prove their identity, present a mobile driving licence, show an educational qualification or demonstrate a professional entitlement. A business could use it to present information about the organization or a representative’s authority to act for it. The wallet can also support electronic signatures and seals.

It is not simply a folder containing photographs or PDF files. The receiving service must be able to verify the issuer, integrity and validity of the presented information.

When will the Wallets Become Available?

The amended regulation entered into force in May 2024. Member States are required to make at least one wallet available by the end of 2026. However, the exact launch date and rollout will differ between countries. National wallet providers must complete implementation, certification and connection with the wider European ecosystem. 

The end of 2026 is therefore the regulatory availability target. It does not mean that every public body and private business will complete integration on the same day. Acceptance obligations and industry adoption will develop through the timetable set by the regulation and its implementing acts.

Is the EUDI Wallet Mandatory for Users?

No. The European Commission states that use of the wallet will be optional. A citizen, resident or business may choose to use it when accessing a compatible service. The framework is designed to provide a recognized digital identity option rather than force everyone into one mandatory identification channel. 

Services still need practical alternatives where required. This is relevant for people who do not own a suitable device, cannot operate the application, or prefer another accepted identity route. Optional use for individuals is different from acceptance obligations for relying parties. Some organizations will be required to accept wallet authentication when the legal conditions apply, and the user chooses to present the wallet.

What can the Wallet Contain?

The wallet can contain person identification data and electronic attestations of attributes. Person identification data represents the core information required to establish the identity of a natural or legal person.

An attribute is a characteristic, right, qualification or fact connected with that person or organization. Examples may include age, address, driving entitlement, educational qualification, professional licence, bank account information or authority to represent a company.

Although the wallet can also support digital documents and legally recognized electronic signatures, not all wallet content carries the same evidential value. The type of credential, issuer, signature, validity and trust status determine whether a relying party should accept it.

A user-created image of a diploma is not equivalent to a digitally signed educational attestation issued by an authorized institution.

How does a Wallet Transaction Work?

A relying party requests specific identity data or attributes. The wallet shows the user which organization is asking and what information it wants. The user approves or rejects the presentation.

The wallet then provides the selected information through a supported protocol. The relying party validates the credential’s issuer, integrity, status, and relevance to the transaction. The organization may store the verified result or selected data when it has a lawful need. It should not automatically retain every part of the wallet presentation.

This model differs from uploading a document photograph. The service verifies structured, issuer-backed information rather than judging only what is visible in an image.

How are People Enrolled Into an EUDI Wallet?

A wallet needs a reliable connection between the user, their person identification data, their device, and the wallet unit. A person may be onboarded using an electronic identification means at assurance level high.

The 2026 EU implementing regulation also defines a remote route that begins with an electronic identification means at assurance level substantial. Additional remote onboarding procedures must raise the combined process to the requirements associated with assurance level high. It references technical requirements for identity proofing and requires the person identification data provider or an identity proofing provider acting for it to meet the applicable controls.

This does not mean that every wallet user must complete the same document and selfie journey. The route depends on the electronic identity already held by the person and the national wallet implementation.

What Role do Biometrics Play?

eIDAS 2.0 does not require every wallet interaction to use facial recognition, fingerprint recognition, or another biometric modality. However, biometrics may be used during remote onboarding when additional evidence is needed.

A process might read an electronic identity document, validate its chip, compare its portrait with the applicant’s live face and apply liveness and injection protections. Biometrics may also support account recovery or reactivation where a wallet must be securely reconnected with its holder.

Later wallet presentations can rely on the issued person identification data or attestation rather than repeating document and facial verification for each service. Biometrics can therefore help establish the person behind the wallet. It is not the wallet credential itself.

Does the Wallet Replace KYC?

The wallet can support customer identification, but it does not automatically replace the complete Know Your Customer process. KYC and customer due diligence may include identity verification, sanctions screening, beneficial ownership checks, risk classification, source-of-funds assessment and ongoing monitoring.

A wallet may provide verified name, date of birth, address or organizational attributes. The regulated institution must still determine whether the credential satisfies the evidence requirements that apply to its service. It must also complete the non-identity elements of customer due diligence.

The amended framework expects digital identity and electronic attestations to support financial services. That does not make every wallet presentation sufficient for every financial product. The correct interpretation is that the wallet can become a trusted source of identity and attribute data within KYC.

How can Age-Restricted Services use the Wallet?

A wallet can support proof that a user is above an age threshold without disclosing their complete identity. This is relevant to age-restricted media, gambling, alcohol sales and other regulated services.

The Commission’s age-verification blueprint, published in 2025, is intended to work with the future wallet ecosystem. It allows a user to prove that they are over 18 while giving the receiving service only the age result needed for access. 

A wallet-based age credential needs a trusted source and secure presentation. It is different from facial age estimation, which predicts an age or age range from an image and does not identify the person.

How can Travel and Mobility use it?

The wallet ecosystem is testing travel credentials, mobile driving licences and vehicle-related documents. A traveler may use a wallet during hotel registration or another service that needs trusted identity data. A driver may present a digital driving entitlement during a vehicle rental.

The wallet does not automatically replace passports, visas or border procedures where those documents remain legally required. Travel and mobility were included in the first wallet pilots and remain part of the newer pilot work.

How does eIDAS 2.0 protect Privacy?

The framework gives users greater control over the information they present. Wallets are intended to share only the data approved for the transaction. Common specifications are being developed openly, and wallet solutions are subject to certification requirements covering functional security, cybersecurity and data protection. 

Privacy still depends on the relying party’s behavior. A service should request only the information it needs. It should retain data only for an established purpose and period. It must also protect the information after receiving it.

What should Organizations Prepare?

Businesses should identify where they currently request identity documents or verified attributes. Each request should be reviewed to determine whether a wallet credential could supply the same information. The organization needs to define which issuers and credential types it will accept. Its integration must validate the issuer, signature, integrity, status and relying-party authorization.

Fraud teams should examine device compromise, phishing, fraudulent relying parties and misuse of valid credentials. Privacy teams should review each data request and retention rule. Customer support needs a process for failed wallet presentations and users who choose another identity route. The wallet should be treated as a new trusted channel within the identity architecture, not merely another login button.

Why is eIDAS 2.0 Important?

People currently repeat the same identity process across banks, government portals, employers, universities and digital platforms. The result is duplicated work and repeated storage of personal documents.

eIDAS 2.0 creates a European framework for issuing and presenting reusable identity information and verified attributes. The wallet can let users prove only what a service needs while allowing the receiving organization to validate where the information came from.

Biometric technology remains relevant when the person must first be securely linked with the wallet. Trusted credentials can then reduce how often the full identity proofing process needs to be repeated.

The framework will not remove fraud, legal differences or implementation challenges. It gives Europe a common structure through which digital identity can move between services and borders with a clearer basis for trust.