Digital Identity Wallet will add efficiency and security to Finnish daily life - New app to be introduced at the end of 2026

The European Digital Identity Wallet will be developed as part of the implementation of the European Union’s amended eIDAS Regulation under the guidance of the Ministry of Finance. The wallet application will serve as a tool for strong identification throughout the EU. It will also allow the user to sign documents electronically and utilise various certificates in digital and on-site services.

“The app will not replace physical documents but will act parallel with them free of charge and voluntarily,” says Anssi Ahlberg, Chief Specialist at the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.

Security and the efficiency of everyday life as a priority

The purpose of the Digital Identity Wallet is to streamline citizens’ everyday lives by bringing together various certificates that can be used instead of physical cards and certificates when dealing with authorities and later with private sector actors.

Another key purpose of the wallet is to promote the information security and data protection of its users. Users get to decide which of their data they want to enter in their wallets and in which service situations they want to share their data. The user is the only one who has access to the data entered in their wallet and, when using the wallet, the user can always see what data is shared and with whom. In addition, wallet user data is not stored in a centralised registry, so user data is protected from such events as extensive data breaches.

The wallet will be one of the strong means of identification for e-services alongside online banking codes, the mobile certificate, and the citizen certificate. When identifying oneself in official services, the wallet functions in the same way in all EU countries.

Electronic certificates alongside physical cards

As the provider of the identity wallet, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency will build the technical implementation of the wallet, the key feature of which is not only identification and electronic signatures but also the possibility of utilising different certificates. Even so, the  same actors will develop and grant physical cards or certificates will also develop and grant these certificates.

An eID that will function within the digital wallet is to be published at the same time as the wallet in December 2026. The National Police Board will produce the eID together with the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. The eID issued by the Police will be an official document comparable to a passport and an identity card. An eID will allow users to verify their identity or age without sharing excess information. For example, a user can prove that they are 18 or older without sharing their name or exact date of birth. However, it will not serve as a travel document in the same way as a traditional passport.

A mobile driving licence provided by Traficom will also be added to the wallet options in the next few years. The development of the mobile driving licence is currently pending the adoption of the EU Driving Licence Directive and the definition of related national legislation. Traficom is actively monitoring the progress of the directive and preparing for its implementation in Finland.

Other public sector organisations will also produce certificates that can be entered in the wallet according to their own schedules, and private sector actors can also build certificates for the wallet as their resources and schedules allow.

New opportunities for organisations – an effective wallet ecosystem will be created together

Private and public sector organisations can make use of the European Digital Identity Wallet, either by using or producing the certificates added to it. The wallet provides a secure and consistent way to share and receive official certificates and to identify citizens anywhere within the EU.

The wallet allows users a method for proving their age or identity without large system investments, while it provides certificate producers an efficient and consistent way of using services within the EU and reduces manual work and paper processes.

“Certificate grantors and users will form a wallet ecosystem that benefits not only wallet users but all parties involved. The Digital and Population Data Services Agency will encourage organisations to use the wallet, as it offers the most benefits when it has a large assortment of certificates,” Ahlberg explains.

The development of the European Digital Identity Wallet is in full swing at the Digital and Population Data Services Agency and at the agencies producing certificates. We also invite other organisations to participate in the project so that we can jointly offer a wide range of certificates and other features as soon as possible after the European Digital Identity Wallet has become available to Finns at the end of 2026.