A Global Snapshot of ID Wallets

While the European Union is leading the charge with the European Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet initiative, it's far from alone. From Argentina to South Korea, countries across continents are designing and deploying their own wallet solutions, each shaped by local needs, regulations, and digital readiness.

In this article, we explore a selection of current digital identity wallet initiatives from around the world. While not exhaustive, this snapshot illustrates one key point: ID wallets are not just a futuristic idea, they're already a global reality.

European Digital Identity Wallet Initiatives

The European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI Wallet) is a flagship project under the EU’s eIDAS 2.0 regulation, which was approved in 2024.

By 2026, all EU citizens, residents, and businesses will be able to use a digital ID wallet to prove their identity and share personal information online in a simple, private, and secure manner.

Large scale pilots were initiated in April 2023, involving over 350 organizations from 26 EU Member States, as well as Norway, Iceland, and Ukraine to validate the wallet's functionality, interoperability, and security before its widespread adoption. Additional pilots are scheduled to commence in mid-2025, including the WE-BUILD Consortium which Gataca is part of.

In the meantime, Member States are actively rolling out national versions in preparation for full-scale adoption. Here's a look at what’s happening across Europe:

Austria

Austria has complemented its digital identity solution "ID Austria," with the "eAusweise" app, which allows citizens to carry digital versions of their identification documents, such as driving licenses, national IDs and proof of age, on their smartphones.

Currently, around 3,045,000 people (34% of the total population ) are registered with ID Austria and more than 70,000 digital identity certificates have already been loaded in the "eAusweis" app.

Belgium

In May 2024, Belgium launched a digital wallet application named myGov.be, designed to hold official documents and allow users access to public services.

The Belgian government has announced Belgian citizens will be able to apply for a digital version of the national identity card from November 2026.

Czechia

The Czech Republic launched eDoklady in January 2024, the country’s digital ID application, compatible with the European Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet.

This year, the government tested mobile ID verification in Senate elections (Jan 17–18) using the eDoklady app with ISO 18013-5 proximity flow. The app has 600,000 downloads since January 2024 and is accepted at banks, post offices, insurers, polling stations, and municipalities.

Denmark

Denmark has announced in April 2025 its plans to launch a national digital wallet, with development starting in April 2025, go-live in Q1 2026, followed by two years of support and continued development.

In subsequent project phases, the functionality will be expanded to include a wide range of digital credentials and comply with the requirements of the EU’s eIDAS 2.0 regulation.

Estonia

Already a digital government pioneer, Estonia is building its EUDI-compliant wallet through Cybernetica. Additionally, during its next local elections, Estonia plans to allow its citizens to identify themselves through the private digital identity app Smart-ID, combining public and private sector innovation.

Finland

The Ministry of Finance has set up a project to guide the implementation of a national digital identity wallet. The Digital and Population Data Services Agency will be responsible for the technical implementation.

France

End of 2023, France launched France Identité as the French EUDI Wallet prototype. Among its current use cases, is the use of National ID cards as a digital solution for presenting tickets on the TGV, France's high-speed train network.

Germany

Germany is actively developing its digital identity infrastructure through the "SPRIND Funke EUDI Wallet Prototype" initiative, which ends September 2025. Launched by the Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation, this innovation competition seeks to develop and test technical solutions for future German EUDI wallets in the form of prototypes.

Greece

Greece is preparing for the EU Digital Identity Wallet with the Gov.gr digital wallet app through which greek citizens can create, save and check digital documents such as digital identity cards, driving licences or the digital disability cards.

Italy

Italy has introduced the IT Wallet, a national digital identity initiative integrated into the country's public services application, IO.

Launched in December 2024, the IT Wallet allows Italian citizens and residents to digitally store key documents. The initiative is set to expand its functionalities to include additional documents like ID cards and passports, as well as services such as payments and is expected to evolve in coordination with the broader EUDI Wallet framework.

Netherlands

The Netherlands's EU Digital Identity Wallet, NL-Wallet, is currently in the making through the EDI System programme implemented on behalf of the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations.

Poland

The mObywatel application, developed by Poland's Ministry of Digital Affairs, serves as the country's official digital identity application and is poised to become Poland's implementation of the European Digital Identity Wallet.

Spain

In 2022, Gataca was appointed by the Spanish Royal Mint (FNMT) as the technology partner to implement Self-Sovereign Identity technology in a pilot in collaboration with Spanish universities.

The initiative provided a mobile application, Cartera Digital, which allowed users to generate and store verifiable credentials, providing reliable, easy, and secure access to digital services, such as those offered by the participant universities.

Sweden

Sweden announced in February 2025 that its DIGG agency is developing a national wallet to support the EUDI framework.

Switzerland

Since late March 2025, the public has been able to test Switzerland’s electronic identity via the digital wallet app called ‹SWIYU›. Moreover, the government has announced plans to start issuing eIDs from 2026 and explore interoperability with the EUDI framework.

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom has announced that it will launch a digital wallet this year for easier access to public services. The UK government is developing a digital wallet integrated into the GOV.UK app, aiming to streamline citizens' access to various official documents. Scheduled for launch in June 2025, the wallet will initially support digital versions of driving licences and veteran ID cards.

Ukraine

Ukraine is set to integrate with the EU Digital Identity Wallet framework by the end of 2026. Through its "Diia" platform, Ukrainians will be able to use digital documents across the EU, and Europeans will have reciprocal access in Ukraine. This development follows successful compatibility testing with the EU's eIDAS 2.0 regulation, ensuring seamless cross-border digital identification.

United States

In 2024, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) launched a major initiative under its Silicon Valley Innovation Program (SVIP) to drive the development of secure digital credential wallets.

As part of this effort, six companies were selected to create wallet solutions capable of storing and presenting verifiable credentials, such as mobile driver’s licenses (mDLs) and other government-issued digital IDs.

These projects focus on privacy-preserving architectures, interoperability, and adherence to global standards like ISO/IEC 18013-5, which governs mobile driver's licenses.

Meanwhile, adoption at the state level is accelerating.

As of April 2025, at least 15 U.S. states allow residents to add mDLs and other digital credentials to wallets like Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, or state-backed apps such as LA Wallet in Louisiana and myColorado in Colorado.

One of the most visible use cases is at TSA checkpoints in select airports, where travellers can now present digital IDs for secure, contactless identity verification.

Canada

To ensure consistency and trustworthiness across various digital ID systems, Canada is employing the Pan-Canadian Trust Framework (PCTF). This framework, overseen by the DIACC, sets out standards for digital identity verification and authentication.

Moreover, some provinces are also pursuing their own digital ID initiatives, like Ontario’s Digital ID program, which aims to provide residents with secure digital wallets to store identification documents.

Australia

Australia passed its Digital ID Bill in 2024. Backed by a AU$145.5 million funding package, the new system aims to concentrate identification documents into a single digital wallet. Citizens will be able to use this wallet to seamlessly access a broad range of government and private sector services, from healthcare and education to banking and travel.

The framework is built to align with global digital ID standards, including frameworks like the EU’s eIDAS, opening doors for potential cross-border compatibility in the future.

New Zealand

New Zealand is advancing its digital identity infrastructure through the Digital Identity Services Trust Framework (DISTF), which officially came into effect on November 8, 2024. This framework establishes a regulatory environment for accredited digital identity services, including digital wallets and apps, to ensure they operate with high standards of privacy, security, and user control.

Argentina

Starting in October 2024, Buenos Aires integrated QuarkID, a blockchain-based self-sovereign identity (SSI) system, into its official government platform, miBA. Being one of the first to implement a decentralized digital identity solution at scale, providing over 3.6 million residents with enhanced control over their personal data through the miBA app.

It allows citizens to verify credentials—such as age or residency—without revealing unnecessary personal information, thereby enhancing privacy and reducing the risk of identity theft. Pilot programs are also underway in other Argentine provinces.

South Korea

South Korea started a trial in January 2025, allowing citizens 17+ to store resident registration cards on smartphones. Piloted in nine regions with nationwide rollout in March.

Taiwan

Taiwan began trialing its Digital ID Wallet in April 2025, enabling secure digital interactions with government and services.

Is Your Business Ready for ID Wallets?

As governments across the globe race toward implementing digital ID wallet solutions, one thing is clear: this transformation is no longer a matter of if but when.

For businesses, this shift is a strategic opportunity. Digital identity wallets will redefine how users prove who they are, interact with services, and protect their data. Organizations already adapting by updating systems and rethinking customer experiences will not only stay ahead of the curve but also be best positioned to capture new opportunities and build lasting trust.

At Gataca, we help businesses stay ahead by making it easy to work with digital ID wallets. Our platform enables you to issue and verify digital credentials to and from your customers' ID wallets so you can allow trusted interactions with them.