Digital identity wallet to be launched in 2026

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.

Earlier this spring, the European Parliament and the Council adopted the revised eIDAS Regulation, which regulates cross-border electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions. In future, the Regulation will also regulate European Digital Identity Wallets. The revised eIDAS Regulation will enter into force in May, and the technical implementing acts will be adopted over the following six months.
 
The revised eIDAS Regulation also regulates other services relating to digital identity wallets, such as providing electronic attestation of attributes and the related access to information. The revised Regulation also requires the development of an identity matching service. The matching service is a key reform that will allow public services to match data received through electronic identification with data already in their registers.

Regulation obliges Member States to develop digital identity wallet

A key obligation of the revised Regulation is that each Member State must provide a digital identity wallet that meets the requirements of the Regulation by 2026 at the latest. Member States must also implement certain other services relating to digital identity wallets.  

A European Digital Identity Wallet is an application for a mobile phone. The application is logically similar to ordinary wallets in that it contains various types of information. Just as you may have a driving license in your ordinary wallet, you will be able to keep similar information in electronic form in digital identity wallet. Each user decides what information to keep in their wallet. This means that you will be able to independently manage and use your information in various everyday situations when using both electronic and in-person services. It will also be possible to use digital identity wallets to identify yourself and sign documents electronically. The use of digital identity wallets will be free of charge and entirely voluntary for EU citizens.

Security a priority in development of wallets

The preparatory work is being coordinated by the Ministry of Finance, which has set up a project to implement the Regulation obligations. The term of the project is 26 April 2024–31 December 2026. The key task of the Ministry of Finance’s project is to guide the implementation of the national digital identity wallet, which is the responsibility of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. 

“Digital identity wallets will make it even easier for EU citizens to use services. In Finland, all of the stakeholders are working closely together on development. The goal is to make our wallet safe and easy to use,” said Minister of Local and Regional Government Anna-Kaisa Ikonen.

The aim of the national project is to make sure that Finland gets its own digital identity wallet. In future, it will be possible to keep many kinds of personal data in digital identity wallets, and it is especially important that they are safe to use.
 
Certain conditions have been set for wallets to protect users. For example, only the user can trace how the wallet is used. In addition, digital wallets will promote the safety of online services, because services that allow the use of digital wallets will be registered and supervised. The wallet will also tell its user who is requesting their information. In addition, customer services will be built around digital identity wallets, for example, to block use in case of misuse or in case the users phone is breaks.

Inquiries:

Laura Kolinen, Senior Specialist, tel. +358 295 530 403, laura.kolinen(at)gov.fi
Alexandra Hacklin, Project Manager, tel. +358 295 530 259, alexandra.hacklin(at)gov.fi 
Jarkko Levasma, Government Chief Information Officer, tel. +358 295 530 117, jarkko.levasma(at)gov.fi 
Katja Väänänen,  Senior Ministerial Adviser, Head of Unit, tel. +358 295 530 245, katja.vaananen(at)gov.fi