24 of 27 EU States to Miss 2026 Digital Wallet Deadline as Rollout Stalls

3 articles · Updated · Euronews · Sep 16

Only 3 of 27 EU member states have launched a certified digital ID wallet ahead of the bloc’s Dec. 24, 2026 deadline, leaving 24 on track to miss the target.
Germany now plans a January 2027 launch, the Netherlands pushed its rollout to late 2027 after a pilot drew just 57 users, and Bulgaria is still drafting legislation.
EU-backed pilots involving 350 organizations have issued more than 1,500 digital credentials and completed over 8,000 cross-border transactions, while Italy leads adoption with nearly 8 million monthly users.
The free wallet is meant to store IDs, driving licences, diplomas, health insurance and bank details; use remains optional and paper documents stay valid.
Businesses must accept the wallet by Dec. 24, 2027, with banks facing earlier compliance from July 2027, even as EDRi warns draft rules could mandate facial recognition and weaken privacy safeguards.