Preparation of the European Digital Identity Wallet is progressing: piloting has started in Finland and elsewhere in Europe

The EU is drafting legislation on European Digital Identity Wallets. The wallet allows electronic identification and reliable demonstration of other personal data throughout the EU.

European Digital Identity Wallet has a wide range of different uses

A European Digital Identity Wallet functioning across national boundaries could be used for identification and for reliably demonstrating personal data, such as information on degrees, professional qualifications or driving licences. In many public services, citizens are currently required to present a variety of different paper certificates and permits and the wallet applications could make such service situations less complicated. Verifying correctness of the data digitally could also enhance security.

Finland is actively participating in the preparations and is involved in the technical specification work, legislative drafting and piloting. The Digital and Population Data Services Agency is a partner in the technical specification process, is working to ensure that Finnish views are considered and is keeping Finnish actors up to date on the progress of the work.

In cooperation with its stakeholders, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency is working to identify areas where the application could be used and whether the wallet could also provide a basis for entirely new operating models. During the spring, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency held workshops to determine potential uses for the European Digital Identity Wallet in Finland. The workshops attracted a large number of participants and a wide variety of potential uses were identified in such areas as working or studying in other EU countries.

Piloting of the wallet is now underway in Finland

Piloting of the wallet was launched this spring. A large number of countries and a wide variety of different organisations representing both public and private sectors are taking part in the pilot projects. The purpose of the pilot projects is to produce inputs for the technical specification of the wallet.

In the pilot projects, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency is producing a wallet application and the core personal data for the application allowing electronic identification. Demonstrating the validity of driving licences, degrees and qualifications with the wallet produced by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency will also be tested in the pilot projects. In the pilot projects, the focus is on cross-border use cases where the Finnish wallet is used in services outside Finland or wallet applications produced by other EU countries are used in Finland.

In the pilot projects, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency is supporting the preparation of the European Digital Identity Wallet in Finland and is working to identify roles and responsibilities arising from the wallet. The Digital and Population Data Services Agency is also working to ensure that the wallet solutions are compatible with the electronic identification and trust services currently used in Finland.

The Digital and Population Data Services Agency is involved in the following European-wide wallet pilots:

• POTENTIAL Consortium: Digital and Population Data Services Agency, Ministry of Finance and Traficom are the Finnish members of the consortium.
• EWC Consortium: Digital and Population Data Services Agency, Ministry of Finance, Finnish Tax Administration, Finnish Patent and Registration Office, State Treasury, TietoEVRY, Findy Cooperative and Finnair are the Finnish members of the consortium.
• DC4EU Consortium: Digital and Population Data Services Agency, Ministry of Finance and the Finnish National Agency for Education are the Finnish members of the consortium.

Join the development effort – visit the open workspace and webinars to find out more

Join us in the development of the European Digital Identity Wallet. In the open workspace, you can find information for organisations on the preparation of the identity wallet and on how to participate in the work.

Open workspace (in Finnish) >>

The Digital and Population Data Services Agency holds webinars as part of the technical specification of the European Digital Identity Wallet. The webinars are held on a regular basis and they are open to the public. For dates, visit dvv.fi.

Read more about the European Digital Identity Wallet at dvv.fi >>

Read more about the European Digital Identity Wallet at vm.fi >>

Inquiries: 

Riitta Partala, Director, Digital and Population Data Services Agency, [email protected]

Reko-Aleksi Renvik, Chief Specialist, Digital and Population Data Services Agency, [email protected]