The next big shift: Why the European Digital Identity Wallet will redefine business as usual

 The challenge today 

Vehicle registration across Europe remains largely fragmented, often relying on physical presence and paper-based processes. Germany's i-Kfz App is one of the first systems in Europe to deliver a practical digital vehicle credential, such as featuring automatic status updates, roadworthiness reminders, and time-controlled document sharing. With interoperability considerations and technical standards already reflected in its design, it offers a strong foundation. Building on such national advances, a standardised approach to cross-border credential recognition under the EUDI Wallet framework would further reduce administrative burdens for citizens, businesses, and institutions, ensuring digital vehicle credentials keep pace with cross-border travel and logistics.

How the EU Digital Wallet could change this 

The European Digital Identity Wallet could enable drivers to register a vehicle once using their verified identity and digitally signed credentials issued by public authorities. These verifiable credentials could be stored in the wallet and recognised across the EU, eliminating the need for repeated forms, paper documents, or translations.

Businesses could complete cross-border vehicle sales and rentals online, and individuals could grant temporary, revocable access to their vehicle registration certificate to family members, garages, or buyers, and withdraw that access at any time. Authorities would be able to verify the same standardised credential online or offline, reducing manual re-checks and fraud while keeping people and goods moving.

In short, one secure, EU-trusted digital certificate replaces multiple national documents and processes.

We propose an EU Digital Identity Wallet that enables:

• Secure authentication using the wallet’s personal identification data (PID), removing the need for national eID systems or other proprietary login solutions.
• Digital issuance of vehicle registration certificates as verifiable credentials stored directly in the wallet.
• Selective data sharing, allowing drivers to present only the information required by authorities, insurers, or buyers.
• Cross-border recognition, ensuring credentials are trusted and accepted EU-wide

Real-life scenario 
 

A Belgian citizen purchases a vehicle in Germany. Instead of navigating two separate national systems, they authenticate via their EU Digital Identity Wallet, complete the registration digitally, and receive an EU-recognised vehicle credential. When driving in France, they can present the same credential to authorities, without paper documents, translations, or delays.

Why this matters 

An EU-wide digital approach to vehicle registration would eliminate in-person visits, accelerate registration timelines, and reduce administrative complexity. It would streamline cross-border sales, rentals, and insurance processes, reduce duplicate checks and paperwork, and lower costs for businesses and individuals alike. At the same time, authorities would benefit from faster, more reliable verification, thereby improving efficiency, strengthening trust, and preventing fraud.

 The challenge today

In times of crisis, such as natural disasters, political unrest, or large‑scale transport disruptions, consular services must verify identities quickly and with a high level of assurance. Verification is essential for issuing emergency travel documents, coordinating evacuations, and providing urgent support.

Today, these processes often rely on physical documents, manual checks, and fragmented systems. When documents are lost or destroyed, and systems do not interoperate across borders, delays occur precisely when minutes matter most.

How the EU Digital Wallet could change this 

The European  Digital Identity Wallet could provide a secure, cross-border channel for remote identity verification during emergencies. Government-issued credentials, such as passports, national ID cards, and residence permits, could be stored in the wallet and could be shared as digitally signed data directly from the issuing authority.

In practice, consular staff could confirm a citizen’s or resident’s identity within minutes and assist with emergency travel documents, evacuation clearance, or access to funds without requesting paper records. Only the minimum necessary information would be shared, ensuring both speed and data protection.

We propose an EU Digital Identity Wallet that enables:

• 24/7 remote verification, enabling consular authorities to confirm identity at any time during a crisis and reduce waiting times from hours to minutes.
• Digital issuance of emergency travel documents, including temporary passports that are stored and digitally signed in the wallet for border and carrier checks.
• Verified identity lists, integrated with carrier systems to speed up boarding and prioritise evacuation coordination.
• Offline-capable credentials, allowing verification when networks fail, with automatic synchronisation once connectivity is restored.

Real-life scenario 
 

Following an earthquake that destroys homes and physical documents, consular authorities in other EU countries can issue emergency ID and travel credentials directly to affected citizens’ phones via the EU Digital Identity Wallet. Identity is confirmed using stored passport or ID data, and temporary documents are digitally signed for border and carrier checks. This replaces manual paperwork with instant, secure verification, even when networks fail.

Why this matters 

An EU-wide digital approach significantly accelerates consular response in crises while ensuring compliance with EU trust and security standards. Citizens who lose their documents abroad can share a digitally signed passport or ID from their EU Digital Identity Wallet with their consulate. Authorities can verify the information remotely and issue emergency assistance, such as travel documents or evacuation clearance, without paper-based processes and while disclosing only the minimum required data, such as name, nationality, and document validity.

 The challenge today

Access to health data remains fragmented across Europe. Medical records are primarily stored in national silos, consent rules differ by country, and healthcare providers often rely on PDFs or printed documents to exchange information. This fragmentation slows care, complicates the ability to obtain second opinions, and increases the risk of sensitive data being shared more broadly than necessary.

While the European Health Data Space will mandate cross-border access to e-prescriptions, patient summaries, imaging, and test results, a critical gap remains. Today, there is no trusted, consistent way to identify patients across borders reliably or to capture consent in a secure, uniform manner.

How the EU Digital Wallet could change this 

Cross-border healthcare often stalls because providers cannot reliably confirm a patient’s identity, insurance coverage, or consent preferences. As systems differ across countries, clinicians either request paper documentation or ask for more data than is actually required.

The European  Digital Identity Wallet could add a secure identity-and-consent layer to cross-border care. Digitally signed credentials issued by trusted authorities, such as identity documents, insurance status, or vaccination records, could be presented on demand. Patients would be able to approve the sharing of specific data elements, such as allergies or current medication, at the point of care. Each consent action would be recorded for auditing purposes.

Clinicians would receive verified data with clear provenance, while detailed medical records would continue to flow through established European Health Data Space formats. The wallet would not share an entire health record; instead, it would verify the patient’s identity and control which information is shared. The result is faster treatment, reduced over-sharing,  and a trusted, lawful exchange of health data across Member States.

We propose an EU Digital Identity Wallet that enables:

• Reliable patient identification across borders using government-issued digital credentials
• Granular consent management, allowing patients to approve only the specific data required for treatment
• Verified insurance and eligibility checks, reducing administrative delays
• Audit-ready consent records, supporting compliance with EU data protection requirements

Real-life scenario 
 

A Latvian tourist needs urgent care while in Bulgaria. The clinician requests verification of identity, allergies, current medication, recent lab results, and insurance eligibility. The patient approves only the sharing of these specific data elements via the EU Digital Identity Wallet. The hospital retrieves verified information instantly, allowing clinicians to make faster, better-informed treatment decisions at the point of care, while avoiding manual intake processes and significantly reducing the risk of oversharing.

Why this matters 

This approach improves clinical safety by delivering the right information at the right time, strengthens patient trust by minimising data sharing, reduces administrative burden and delays, and ensures compliance with EU privacy and data protection rules. At the same time, it enables seamless cross-border care without replacing existing health data infrastructures.

 The challenge today

During macroeconomic shocks, such as pandemics or energy crises, governments often need to provide financial support to citizens quickly. However, traditional stimulus programmes rely on fragmented systems, manual eligibility checks, and multiple intermediaries, which create delays and increase the risk of fraud and the misuse of funds.

The furlough payments introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted these vulnerabilities, with funds sometimes reaching ineligible recipients or being exploited for illicit purposes.

How the EU Digital Wallet could change this 

Used on its own or in combination with a digital euro, the European Digital Identity Wallet could provide a secure and efficient mechanism for distributing emergency funds directly to citizens and residents. By leveraging verified identity credentials and selective disclosure, authorities can ensure payments reach the right individuals quickly and transparently while remaining fully compliant with regulatory requirements.

This approach would reduce administrative overhead, strengthen fraud prevention, and enable more targeted interventions by using verified identity attributes and automated eligibility checks, while ensuring that only the minimum required data is disclosed and preserving individual privacy.

We envision a EU Digital Wallet that enables:

• Verified identity confirmation, using wallet credentials such as identity, residency, or income-related eligibility criteria.
• Automated eligibility to instantly confirm qualification based on criteria such as employment status or region.
• Direct payments that transfer funds straight to beneficiaries’ EU Digital Identity Wallets without intermediaries.
• Secure, auditable transactions with every payment digitally signed and logged to prevent fraud.
• Privacy-by-design controls to ensure that only the minimum necessary data is shared with explicit consent.

Real-life scenario 
 

An EU heating subsidy programmesme is launched during an energy crisis. Citizens in eligible regions receive a notification in their EU Digital Identity Wallet requesting confirmation of identity and residency. Once eligibility checks have been completed, typically within hours, the funds are transferred as digital euros and logged for auditing purposes. The money is immediately available for essential expenses, with no paperwork or intermediaries required.

Why this matters

This approach delivers financial aid fast and accurately, reducing delays and errors. It also strengthens fraud prevention by using secure digital proofs and clear audit trails. At the same time, authorities gain real-time visibility into fund distribution and can adapt policies quickly to meet needs, improving both effectiveness and trust in public support programmes.

 The challenge today

Property transactions and ownership verification are fundamental to economic activity, yet across Europe, these processes remain fragmented and heavily paper‑based. Each Member State maintains its own land registry, often requiring manual document exchanges, translations, and in‑person visits.

This fragmentation leads to delays, higher transaction costs, and increased exposure to fraud and compliance risks, particularly for cross‐border deals.

How the EU Digital Wallet could change this

The European Digital Identity Wallet could enable citizens, residents, and businesses to store digitally signed property titles and beneficial ownership certificates issued by national or regional land registries. These credentials could be shared securely with authorised parties, such as notaries, banks, and public authorities, enabling real-time verification while preserving privacy.

This approach would provide secure access to records and support property transactions, due diligence, and anti-money laundering (AML) checks.

We propose an EU Digital Identity Wallet that enables:

• Digitally signed property titles issued by official land registries and recognised across the EU.
• Beneficial ownership certificates to verify data for due diligence and AML compliance.
• Selective data disclosure, allowing parties to share only essential attributes such as ownership status or property ID.
• Cross-border interoperabilityfor trusted verification in scenarios such as inheritance or property transactions across Member States.

Real-life scenario 
 

A buyer in France is purchasing property in Germany from a Luxembourg-based company. Using the EU Digital Identity Wallet, the buyer and notary retrieve the official, digitally signed ownership record via the property’s unique identifier, confirm the seller’s legal ownership and verified beneficial ownership details, and validate the information using data issued by German and Luxembourg authorities under EU trust standards. What would typically take weeks of manual document requests is completed through a secure, real-time verification process.

Why this matters 

An EU-wide digital approach to land registration would transform property verification from a slow, paper-based process into a fast and reliable digital check. It would reduce transaction delays, strengthen AML and know-your-customer (KYC) compliance, and lower fraud risks through cryptographically verifiable data.

Crucially, this model does not replace national land registries. Instead, it makes their authoritative outputs portable by turning official registry entries into EU-trusted digital credentials that can be verified across borders, while legal authority remains with the source registry.