Piloting of the European Digital Identity Wallet

The eIDAS Regulation establishes the digital identification methods, signature services and other trust services. The revised eIDAS Regulation entered into force on 20 May 2024. The revision expands the previous eIDAS Regulation and allows the development and implementation of European Digital Identity Wallets. Union-wide multinational consortia have piloted use cases and potential features for Digital Identity Wallets since 2023. On this page, we will describe the pilot projects for the use cases of the identity wallet and the roles of Finnish actors in different pilot consortia in detail.

Pilot projects of the European Digital Identity Wallet in Finland

The development pilots of the European Identity Wallet create and test different use cases for the wallet application, which aim to aid in the technical specification of the wallet and lay the foundation for features that can be developed for the production versions of the wallet applications. There is a wide variety of public and private sector organisations participating in the projects.

In the pilot projects, the focus is on cross-border use cases in which, for example, the Finnish wallet is used in services outside Finland or where wallet applications produced by other EU countries are used in Finland. The pilot is implemented with test data, and real personal data is not processed during the pilot phase.

In the pilot projects, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency supports the preparation of the European Digital Identity Wallet in Finland and works to identify roles and responsibilities arising from the wallet. 

POTENTIAL Consortium

The POTENTIAL consortium includes 19 EU countries and Ukraine. It will run from 2023 to 2025. The consortium will pilot the European Digital Identity Wallet in six different use cases.

Finland will participate in the pilot projects of two use cases:

  • User identification in the electronic services of public administration in the EU
    • The pilot project will test user identification in the electronic services of public administration with a wallet produced by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. It also includes a corresponding use case in which a citizen of another EU member state identifies in an electronic service of Finland’s public administration.
    • In the pilot project, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency will produce the wallet application and the core personal data to allow electronic identification. In addition, the project involves creating the preconditions and testing the identification of users who wish to sign in to a public electronic service in Finland from another EU country.
  • Using a mobile driving licence in the EU
    • The pilot project involves testing the demonstration of a valid driving licence with the help of a wallet produced by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency and a use case where a citizen of another EU member state demonstrates their licence to drive in Finland.
    • In the pilot project, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency will produce a wallet application, the core personal data and the capability to download information that verifies a valid driving licence, which enables electronic identification. The actual data on driving licences will be produced by Traficom.

In addition, the consortium involves pilot projects for using the digital wallet in the EU to open a bank account, activate a SIM card and enable electronic signatures and electronic prescriptions. Finland is not a direct participant in these projects but will closely follow their development.

Learn more about the POTENTIAL consortium

EWC Consortium

The EU Digital Wallet Consortium (EWC) includes 27 EU member states and nearly 80 different organisations. It will run from 2023 to 2025. The consortium will pilot the European Digital Identity Wallet in three different use cases.

The Finnish participants of the consortium are the Digital and Population Data Services Agency, the Ministry of Finance, the Tax Administration, the National Board of Patents and Registration, and the State Treasury. The Finnish contribution will be implemented in cooperation with the Real-Time Economy project. 

Read more about the Real-Time Economy project

Use case pilots:

  • Wallet as proof of identity
    • The Digital and Population Data Services Agency will produce a wallet application that can be used as a proof of identity in the EU, for example at airports, checking in to a hotel, or when buying a discount ticket.
  • Digital wallet for companies
    • The consortium involves a pilot project for a wallet for companies, which could for example be used to deliver a receipt of purchase when doing business with another company in the EU. The Real-Time Economy project handles the implementation and piloting of the wallet for businesses in Finland. 

Learn more about the EWC consortium

DC4EU Consortium

The DC4EU consortium includes 20 EU countries, Ukraine and Norway, and more than 80 public and private sector actors. It will run from 2023 to 2025. The consortium will pilot the European Digital Identity Wallet in four different use cases.

The Finnish participants of the consortium are the Digital and Population Data Services Agency, the Ministry of Finance and the Finnish National Agency for Education. 

Finland will participate in the pilot projects of one use case:

  • study certificate information
    • The Digital and Population Data Services Agency and the Finnish National Agency for Education are participating in a pilot project that enables demonstrating study certificate information in the EU with a wallet application. The Digital and Population Data Services Agency will produce the wallet application, and the Finnish National Agency for Education is responsible for providing the study certificate data. 

In addition, the consortium involves pilot projects for use cases related to professional qualifications and social security, but Finland is not participating in the pilots of these use cases.

Learn more about the DC4EU consortium

More information

The consortia also describe the progress of their pilot work and the use of their example applications. Follow the social media channels of the consortia for the latest news about, for example, the testing phases of public use case pilots.

Send an email to [email protected] and you will receive invitations to events and up-to-date information on the progress of the work.

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