EU to make uniform mobile driving license available in EUDI Wallets by 2030

The EUDI Wallet scheme will serve as a government-led driver for mobile driver’s license adoption in the EU, and national wallets mandated by the eIDAS 2.0 regulation are a step up in uniformity from the state-level mDL apps issued in the U.S.

This week, the European Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional political agreement on the update of the driving license directive. A release from the Council says the updated rules on driving licenses are “an excellent example of how widespread digitalization is in the lives of Europeans”

The directive, which is part of a larger Commission Road Safety Package, states that by the end of 2030, “a uniform mobile driving license will be available for all EU citizens, placed in the future European Digital Identity Wallet.” This mDL will be recognized in all EU member states. Mobile licenses (and their physical counterparts, which will still be available) will be valid for driving passenger cars and motorcycles for a term of 15 years from date of issue.

Thales says mDLs mark a new era for 440M EU drivers

In a new blog, Thales gives its own version of an mDL overview, focused on the EU and a directive proposed in 2023 aimed at enhancing the free movement of persons and goods across borders. Standards will enable interoperability, which in turn could make travel and digital transactions in the EU that much easier.

“EU digital driving licenses will be based on an international standard ensuring seamless use not just across European countries but potentially further afield, in Australia and the United States, which are also adopting the same mobile driving licenses standard,” it says. “Beyond driving, digital licenses could also serve more broadly as valid and potentially customizable official IDs.”

The blog notes how increased cybersecurity risks are forcing the need for a tough but necessary realignment toward digital identity technology, without sacrificing existing methods. “While the transformation may be disruptive, and comes at a cost, mastering both digital and physical formats is likely to generate numerous synergies between the two, enabling the agencies to benefit from the required investment. They will have an opportunity to offer innovative, cost-effective value-added services and generally create better services for citizens.”

In the end, it says, the era of the mDL and the EUDI wallet represents “a pivotal milestone in Europe’s digital transformation toward enhanced simplicity and efficiency.”

“Road safety authorities must now start the journey by exploring the best use cases and defining an ambitious vision for what the mobile licence can and should do. The journey toward digital driving licenses is just beginning – and the time to prepare is now.”

Amazon betting big on mDL, EU wallet scheme

One company in evident agreement is Amazon, which is “doubling down on digital credentials, mDLs and the European Digital ID wallet,” according to a LinkedIn post from Elina Cadouri, COO of Dock Labs.

The post quotes Paul Grassi, principal product manager for identity services at Amazon, speaking at a recent online event. Grassi says Amazon plans to launch mDL acceptance in the U.S. this year, and integration of EUDI in 2026. Use cases will span age-restricted purchases, identity verification for health services and online pharmacies, verified address sharing for deliveries and simplified account recovery.

Cadouri notes that “historically, Amazon has performed identity verification in-house – scanning IDs, running checks, and matching selfies. Their future vision is to shift that burden by accepting credentials that are already verified by trusted issuers, thereby reducing friction and enhancing privacy.”

Article Topics

digital ID  |  digital wallets  |  driver's license  |  eIDAS  |  EU  |  EU Digital Identity Wallet  |  mDL (mobile driver's license)  |  Thales Digital Identity and Security