Italy gets offline digital wallet access as country advances digitalization

Italy is seeing a seismic shift in its civil status registers as it leaves behind analogue, paper-based recording keeping in favor of sophisticated digital identity tools.

The country’s National Archive of Civil Status (ANSC) is consolidating records into a single, national repository. More than 700 municipalities have joined the digital, integrated platform that promises a faster and more secure service for Italians.

Until now, civil records including births, marriages and citizenship applications were scattered across paper registers and stored in physical archives, making retrieval slow and error prone. Developed by the Department for Digital Transformation in partnership with the Ministry of the Interior, ANSC meets the growing need for real-time access and consistency across local administrations.

Synchronization with the National Registry of the Resident Population (ANPR) further enhances data reliability, ensuring that every entry in ANSC matches the officially registered population data. This interoperability leads to a standardized workflow that simplifies internal processes, freeing municipal staff from repetitive administrative tasks and allowing them to focus on higher-value citizen services.

For individuals, the benefits are equally tangible. Civil status documents can now be signed electronically using a digital identity, and certificates will soon be requestable online, eliminating the need for in-person visits to town halls. This digital convenience shortens processing times and distances, reduces bureaucracy and brings local government services closer to the people they serve.

Municipalities not yet on ANSC have 18 months to complete the migration, after which the civil status registers of every Italian town — regardless of size or location — will be fully digitized. The Italian government points to the rapid adoption by more than 700 administrations as evidence of belief in a unified, citizen-centric public administration.

Italians get offline access to documents in national digital wallet 

Italy’s national digital services app “IO” has introduced offline access to its Wallet, making it the country’s first true digital wallet within the IT-Wallet System.

“From today, all citizens will be able to access their digital documents even without a network connection, simply by updating IO, the app for public services,” said Alessio Butti, Undersecretary of State for Technological Innovation. “This innovation is a stepping stone to an effective Italian digital wallet, bringing us closer to the full implementation of the IT-Wallet System.”

The app now automatically detects when it is offline – such as in areas with poor signal – and switches to a limited mode. Users will then still be able to unlock their stored documents, such as driving license or health insurance card, through biometric authentication or a PIN.

A banner within the Wallet indicates that the device is offline and reminds the user that document validity is based on the last successful online verification. Once connectivity returns, IO prompts users to restart the app, restoring full functionality and updating all documents in the background.

Since the Wallet feature launched December 4, 2024, it has recorded more than 5.3 million individual active users, activating nearly 9 million digital documents. Digital health insurance cards account for 4.6 million of those records, followed by 4.2 million driving licences. The uptake of digital Disability Cards has also surged past 100,000.

Developed by the Department for Digital Transformation, PagoPA and the Italian State Printing Works and Mint (IPZS), the update allows users to retrieve essential credentials, certificates and attestations even when they lack an internet connection.

Italy has issued nearly 90 million digital identities as of 30 April, with 50 million CIEs and 40 million SPIDs, Undersecretary Butti revealed in an interview. This means the country is two years ahead of schedule for its digital identity PNRR target. PNRR is the country’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

The government has rolled out over 17 million CIEs, pushed CieID app downloads from 5.3 million to 7.3 million, and doubled the number of public bodies accepting “Access with CIE” to 11,000. Butti emphasised that the free, state-managed CIE links physical and digital identities in a way that prevents scams associated with duplicate SPIDs.

Italy has an expanding public digital identity system: Sistema Pubblico di Identità Digitale, or SPID. It also issues a biometric ID card, the Carta di identità elettronica (CIE) or electronic identity card. In 2023, it introduced It Wallet, a national wallet scheme that is (for now) separate from the EUDI Wallet program, to enable access to SPID.

Turning to telecom networks, Butti warned that inherited delays and fragmentation risk jeopardizing PNRR objectives. Although network operators build the infrastructure, the government remains accountable to Brussels and Butti has asked for tighter coordination and a commitment to technological neutrality from the operators to secure EU funds and bolster national competitiveness.

Article Topics

civil ID  |  digital identity  |  digital wallets  |  Italy  |  SPID