ETSI Releases First Standards for EU Digital Identity Wallet

The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) has released the first set of standards supporting the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDIW), covering interoperability, security, privacy, and electronic signatures across the planned wallet ecosystem.

The package includes more than 24 technical specifications spanning attestation profiles, certificate policies, trust list formats, remote signing protocols, identity proofing, and long-term data preservation. The standards are designed to ensure that wallets issued by EU member states protect personal data with strong cryptographic security, minimize unnecessary data sharing, and function seamlessly across borders and services.

The EUDIW will allow EU citizens and residents to prove their identity and share verified attributes, such as age, diplomas, or authorizations, through a secure digital wallet on their mobile devices. Each member state is required to offer at least one wallet to its citizens, enabling access to both public and private services including government portals, healthcare, banking, travel, and education.

“Our goal is to make digital interactions across Europe as easy and trustworthy as possible, whether you’re travelling, studying, working, or accessing services online,” said Nick Pope, Chair of ETSI’s Electronic Signatures and Trust Infrastructures committee.

The eIDAS 2.0 regulation took effect in 2024, establishing the legal framework for the wallet and requiring member-state implementation. The European Commission has since worked with standards bodies and large-scale pilot projects to develop the technical infrastructure. The Architecture and Reference Framework has undergone multiple revisions to define how wallets should function in practice.

ETSI’s Technical Committee ESI will continue standards development through 2026 and 2027, focusing on converting the technical specifications into full European Standards, integrating feedback from pilot deployments, and developing interoperability and conformance testing frameworks. Test tooling for the wallet ecosystem has already begun to take shape from providers like Fime.

ETSI and CEN will host a joint workshop on the EU Digital Identity Framework from September 29 to October 1, 2026, bringing together stakeholders from across the ecosystem.

Sources: ETSI

–

By Ali Nassar-Smith