German Government to Develop Its Own EUDI Wallet, Allow Private Sector Efforts in Parallel

The German government has formally announced plans to develop its own European Digital Identity Wallet, which will let citizens store identity data and official documents on their smartphone and use a Qualified Electronic Signature.

The government will take a phased approach to the EUDI’s introduction, focusing initially on its core function of proving identity. Later, the government plans to add greater functionality, such as enabling users to store boarding passes or payment cards in the Wallet.

“We want citizens to be able to prove their identity quickly, securely, and easily via their smartphones – without needing an additional card or reader,” explained Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser. “Whether in everyday life, during job applications, online banking, or when interacting with authorities, this will make identity verification much easier.”

Faeser added that the EUDI will implement “the highest security standards” to protect user data and that it will be free of charge.

Importantly, the German government’s announcement emphasized that “provisions will be made for non-governmental providers as well”, ensuring that private companies, research institutions, and other organizations are allowed to develop their own digital wallets that could be officially recognized in Germany.

Over the past several months, Germany’s Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation, SPRIND – Bundesagentur für Sprunginnovationen, has been running a Proof of Concept challenge in which private companies have been working on their own EUDI Wallets, offering significant funding to some of the participants. The overarching aim is to achieve compliance with Regulation (EU) 2024/1183, also known as eIDAS 2.0, a European Union law requiring member countries to develop a digital wallet for citizens that will be recognized across the bloc.

The Regulation entered into force in May of this year, establishing the European Digital Identity Framework for the EUDI Wallet.

The German government says that SPRIND is now working on the national digital ID wallet together with the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community (BMI) and the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI). The development process will be “embedded in a transparent and participatory architecture and consultation framework for EUDI Wallets, where ideas, concepts, and code will be made publicly available for comment and discussion to involve a wide range of expertise from the start,” the government said in its announcement.

This process will include “an open online consultation”, scheduled for October 9, in which interested parties can ask questions and discuss the efforts.

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September 30, 2024 – by Alex Perala