Skip to main content

Technical Specifications

The technical
specifications behind EU Digital Identity Wallets

Uncover the technical specifications behind EU Digital Identity Wallets. Learn more about the Toolbox, Architecture and Reference Framework and Reference Implementation that are the blueprint for the wallets.

Working together to create the EU Digital Identity Wallet ecosystem

To ensure EU Digital Identity Wallets are widely used it isn't enough just to create Wallet apps.

Creating a thriving ecosystem (where digital ID's and digital documents can be readily issued and verified) will require the close collaboration of these three crucial actors:

Wallet providers

They will build the wallet on behalf of Member States and offer it to citizens, residents and businesses. They will also provide ongoing technical support.

Issuers

Any trusted organisation that can issue digital ID and/or trusted digital documents (like an education certificate, or mobile driving licence).

Service providers

Any public or private organisation that relies on information from the wallet and requests identification and authentication from wallet users in order to offer a service, e.g. a car rental business that requests a mobile driving licence from a customer's wallet before lending them a car.

One common set of standards and specifications, many different wallets

The Architecture and Reference Framework (ARF)

Every Member State will need to provide its citizens with at least one EUDI wallet. Every wallet will need to be able to interface with issuers and service providers from across Europe.

To ensure that wallets, issuers, and service providers can all exchange information, wherever they may be based, it's necessary for all wallets and associated services to be built using a common set of standards and specifications.

The common architecture of the EU Digital Identity Wallet ecosystem is set out in the Architecture and Reference Framework (ARF). It specifies the standards, protocols, and formats of information exchanges between issuers, wallets, and service providers.

These specifications enable the wallets to:

  • Securely store, present and verify personal identification data (PID) and digital documents.
  • Use a common schema catalogue, enabling consistent exchange of information across the EU ecosystem, ensuring the interoperability of the wallets and their ecosystem.
  • Establish a shared trust infrastructure that mandates issuers, service providers, and includes an issuer catalogue that ensures the authenticity and reliability of digital interactions.
Read the Architecture and Reference Framework

Start building your EU Digital Identity Wallet solutions

Reference Implementation

The EU Digital Identity Wallet Reference Implementation empowers Member States and stakeholders to build their own wallets. It consists of open-source code libraries, modular components, and a fully functioning reference application based on the Architecture Reference Framework (ARF), and is now available.

It can help wallet providers, issuers, and service providers to carry out their unique responsibilities within the ecosystem.

Wallet Providers

As a wallet provider, you can start building wallet instances to seamlessly interact with both issuing and verifying services. Everything you need to get started is provided in the libraries.

Discover the Libraries

Issuers

As an issuer, you can start building trusted applications that can issue digital documents to EUDI Wallets according to the protocols and interfaces of the EUDI Wallet Framework.

Discover Issuing Apps and Services

Service providers

As a service provider, you can start building trusted applications that can request attributes of attestations from EUDI Wallets according to the protocols and interfaces of the EUDI Wallet Framework.

Discover Verifier Apps and Services

Discover the roadmap

The roadmap of the EUDI Wallet Reference Implementation provides a transparent view of the features and enhancements that are currently being developed or planned for the future.

Discover the roadmap

Large Scale Pilots are testing the specifications

The Large Scale Pilots are testing the specifications in a range of use cases; building on the technical specifications and the Reference Implementation.

Feedback from their work is being used to further improve the ARF and Reference Implementation.

This feedback process is influencing the contents of the Implementing Acts that will formalise the wallet specifications into law.

Feedback from the wider public is also welcome and encouraged.

Give feedback on the ARF Give feedback on the Reference Implementation

Need support?

If you have any questions on the technical specifications of the EU Digital Identity Wallet you can reach out to us via our Help Desk. Just fill in the form and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Access the Help Desk

  • No labels