Frequently asked questions
General
The EUDI Wallet is your personal digital wallet for identity data and credentials. It operates on a simple principle: all credentials are stored securely directly on your own smartphone and are presented by you only when needed. You maintain full control, as only the absolutely necessary information is shared. There is no central storage of your personal data – everything remains in your hands. The wallet serves as a modern supplement to your existing physical documents and will be usable across Europe in the future.
No, use is voluntary and free of charge.
The rollout of the first version of the state-issued EUDI Wallet is planned for early 2027.
To use the EUDI Wallet, you generally only need a smartphone and the installed app. However, if you wish to use the official identification function, a one-time verification of your identity is required. For this purpose, you can use a German national ID card, an eID card for EU or EEA citizens, or an electronic residence permit, provided that the respective online ID function is activated.
The Federal Government has decided to provide a state-issued EUDI Wallet, which will be rolled out in stages starting in 2027. The Federal Ministry for Digital and State Modernization (BMDS) holds the lead policy responsibility. Technical implementation is being carried out as part of the national EUDI Wallet project, which is conducted by the Federal Agency for Leap Innovations (SPRIND) along with additional project partners.
Yes, the EUDI Wallet can be used throughout Europe and works across borders.
The EUDI Wallet protects sensitive data by storing it exclusively locally and encrypted on the device. The keys required for this are stored in a hardware-protected component of the device so that they cannot be read or copied. Access is additionally secured by strong authentication (e.g. PIN/biometrics + device lock). The principle of data economy applies when sharing information: The wallet only passes on the data that is really needed. At the same time, it prevents usage from being tracked.
To use the national EUDI Wallet, a smartphone running the iOS (Apple) or Android (Google) operating system is required.
The EUDI Wallet will offer a secure and privacy-friendly alternative to many current apps and physical documents. Ultimately, the choice to use the wallet instead of existing cards or apps – and the extent to which it is adopted – is entirely up to you and the participating organizations.
The national EUDI Wallet does not need an account/login. Users can use the wallet without creating any account/login. Independently of this, the App Store and Google Play Store require an account for the user to install any application. We are aware that some users prefer alternative distribution methods. These are being looked into. Any such approach must meet the required security standards and must not compromise the integrity of the EUDI Wallet.
At present, the EUDI Wallet cannot yet be offered as a browser-based solution because it must meet the highest security requirements and needs to access smartphone security features directly (such as the Secure Enclave or StrongBox). A team explored this approach as part of our innovation challenge “EUDI Wallet Prototypes”. The outcome showed that, at the moment, a browser-based implementation is not technically feasible. This would require additional browser capabilities that are still under standardisation. We remain dedicated to resolving this.
The EUDI Wallet is a major step towards greater digital sovereignty. It enables citizens to store and use digital credentials in line with European requirements for data protection, security, non‑discriminatory access and interoperability. This reduces dependency on individual platform providers and strengthens the self‑determined use of digital identities in Europe.
Economy and relying parties
Integration options depend heavily on the specific use cases and the relevant specialized procedures. To make integration into existing systems as simple as possible, the national EUDI Wallet project provides technical development manuals for all wallet functions (known as "Developer Guides"). Ultimately, the integration itself is the responsibility of the respective software providers.
The national EUDI Wallet will be available from 2027. Early integration is recommended. The testing of use cases and participation in the sandbox is a prerequisite for later use in productive operation.
No, its use is voluntary, but it makes life considerably easier for both users and companies thanks to seamless, time-saving and more efficient everyday processes.
The EUDI Wallet Sandbox provides a production-like test environment in Germany. Serving as the central gateway to the German EUDI ecosystem, it allows organizations to conduct realistic testing – using test data exclusively. At launch, the sandbox supports use cases for secure identification via PID. The national sandbox is essential for testing the technical integration and functionality of the EUDI Wallet with Relying Party systems, ensuring that solutions work as seamlessly as possible for users. As a permanent resource, the sandbox is a core component of the onboarding process for Relying Parties. Furthermore, Germany is utilizing prototypes developed through an innovation challenge organized by SPRIND. In parallel, European "Large Scale Pilots" such as APTITUDE and WE BUILD are testing key use cases and interoperability across the EU.
You can test the integration into the EUDI Wallet by participating in the pilot operation as a so-called relying party (RP). The prerequisite is that you have defined a specific PID use case (personal identity data) and are technically ready for testing. The sandbox project team will help you to refine your use case and prepare the technical connection. As part of this testing and onboarding process, the required interfaces are set up and you receive the necessary information to test the retrieval and processing of EUDI Wallet data in a test environment. Detailed information on the procedure and the ecosystem can be found in the Ecosystem Knowledge Center.
Administrations and municipalities
No. The state wallet is provided centrally. Municipalities only need to organize their processes with regard to documents from the EUDI Wallet.
The EUDI Wallet offers significant efficiency gains for municipalities by automating credential processes and reducing manual verification efforts. Thanks to EU-wide interoperability and the use of existing infrastructures, digital identity services can be seamlessly integrated, significantly accelerating administrative procedures.
Through BundID mailbox:
- Authorities provide data in structured form
- The Wallet Adapter converts data into eIDAS compliant formats
- BundID mailbox provides notifications, such as certificates of good conduct or BAFöG notifications, as EUDI Wallet-compliant proof
- Citizens initiate the transfer to the wallet (QR Code/Link)
Through NOOTS:
- Direct, seamless transfer from registries to the EUDI Wallet
- Document provision via NOOTS as an efficient way
- The prerequisite is that the corresponding register is connected via NOOTS
- Only for registry information
Direct connection to the specialist unit:
- Authority organizes connection and issue independently or with the help of an adapter or service provider.
The Federal Ministry for Digital and State Modernization (BMDS) is currently testing various options for administrative integration. This pilot program, conducted in partnership with the City of Dresden and the Free State of Saxony, is scheduled to run through the second quarter of 2026. The ultimate goal of these efforts is to establish a consistent, federally coordinated onboarding model for all municipalities across Germany.
Sandbox
The EUDI Wallet Sandbox is Germany's official test environment for the state-issued EUDI Wallet. It enables companies, organizations, and public authorities to test use cases in a secure, production-like environment before they are fully rolled out. The sandbox is open to both public and private organizations and supports compliance with eIDAS 2.0 regulations.
The official German EUDI Wallet Sandbox has been available since December 2025. This national test environment allows organizations to test their use cases and integrations with the state-issued EUDI Wallet using test data exclusively. The sandbox serves as the primary gateway to both the national and European EUDI ecosystems. Currently, the wallet's identification function is supported through Personal Identification Data (often abbreviated as PID) generated via the German national ID card and electronic residence permit (eAT). Support for additional credentials will be introduced in the near future.
The EUDI Wallet Sandbox is initially open to organizations ready to validate their identification use cases (PID) under realistic conditions using test data. As first movers, these participants help refine the ecosystem by providing valuable feedback while using the sandbox as a collaborative learning platform. Access will be expanded to additional organizations in stages, allowing more participants to prepare for the official public rollout of the national EUDI Wallet. To determine if your organization is ready to join, please consult the Onboarding Guide, plan your specific use cases, and begin your integration preparations.
- Review the onboarding requirements
- Define your PID use case and submit it for review.
- Complete the onboarding steps, including a kick-off meeting with the project team.
- Use the Sandbox Readiness Checklist to assess your organization’s readiness.
The technical requirements are documented in the Architecture and Reference Framework, which you can find here.