---
title: "Understanding Digital Identity in the EU: eID, eIDAS, and the EUDI Wallet"
description: "This article serves as a reference point for further discussions on digital identity, authentication, and legitimisation in the EU."
url: "https://hoeijmakers.net/eu-eid-eidas-eudi-wallet/"
date: 2025-02-02
updated: 2026-05-10
author: "Rob Hoeijmakers"
site: "hoeijmakers.net"
language: "en"
tags: ["Europe"]
---

# Understanding Digital Identity in the EU: eID, eIDAS, and the EUDI Wallet

Digital identity is becoming increasingly important in both personal and professional contexts. As the European Union strengthens its framework for **secure digital identification**, three key terms often come up: **eID**, **eIDAS**, and the **EUDI Wallet**.

This article serves as a foundational reference for understanding their roles, relationships, and impact on digital identity, authentication, and legitimisation.

## 1. eID (Electronic Identity)

**eID** stands for **Electronic Identity**, referring to a digital means of identifying oneself online. It is a **national** electronic identification system issued by an EU member state and used to authenticate individuals and businesses.

### Key Characteristics:

Each EU country has its own **eID system**, such as:

- **DigiD** (Netherlands)
- **Itsme** (Belgium)
- **eID** (Germany)
- Used for **secure login** to government, banking, healthcare, and private sector services.
- Some national eID systems are **notified under eIDAS**, meaning they are recognised across the EU for cross-border authentication.

### Role in Digital Identity:

- Enables individuals to **prove who they are online**.
- Reduces the need for multiple accounts and passwords.
- Forms the basis for more advanced digital identity solutions.

## 2. eIDAS (Electronic Identification, Authentication and Trust Services)

**eIDAS** is the **EU regulation (Regulation 910/2014)** that provides a **legal framework** for digital identity and trust services across the European Union.

### Key Characteristics:

- Ensures **cross-border recognition** of electronic identities.
- Defines standards for **electronic signatures, digital seals, timestamps, and website authentication**.
- Regulates **qualified trust service providers (QTSPs)** that issue digital certificates.
- Enables the legal use of digital signatures for contracts, government documents, and other transactions.

### Role in Digital Identity:

- Establishes the **legal foundation** for secure online transactions.
- Enables **businesses and individuals** to use their national eID for services across the EU.
- Creates **trust and security** in digital interactions.

## European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI)

The [EUDI](https://ec.europa.eu/digital-building-blocks/sites/display/EUDIGITALIDENTITYWALLET/EU+Digital+Identity+Wallet+Home) is the EU's framework for digital identity, and the [EUDI Wallet](https://ec.europa.eu/digital-building-blocks/sites/display/EUDIGITALIDENTITYWALLET/EU+Digital+Identity+Wallet+Home) is one of the key tools that implements this vision (introduced under **eIDAS 2.0**).

### Key Characteristics:

- Functions as a **digital identity wallet** for EU citizens and businesses.
- Allows users to store and share **verified credentials** (e.g., eID, driver’s license, medical records, diplomas).
- Based on **self-sovereign identity (SSI)** principles, giving users **control over their data**.
- Can be used for **both governmental and private sector services**.

### Role in Digital Identity:

- Aims to create a **unified digital identity system** across the EU.
- Provides a **secure and interoperable** way to verify identity online and offline.
- Reduces reliance on third-party authentication services (e.g., social logins from Google or Facebook).

## The Connection Between eID, eIDAS, and EUDI Wallet

1. **eID** is a **national** digital identity used for authentication.
2. **eIDAS** provides the **legal framework** ensuring interoperability and trust for eID and digital transactions across Europe.
3. **EUDI Wallet** is an **EU-wide solution** under **eIDAS 2.0**, designed to integrate eID and other credentials into a **secure, digital-first system**.

Together, these three components aim to create a **cohesive and secure digital identity ecosystem** in Europe, with the goal of enabling individuals and businesses to verify their identities efficiently and safely in an increasingly digital world.

---

**Related**
- [Passports, Phones, and the Future of Identity](https://hoeijmakers.net/passports-phones-and-the-future-of-identity/)
- [Identity Wallet: A Tool for Empowerment or a Mechanism of Control?](https://hoeijmakers.net/digital-identity-id-empowerment-or-state-control/)