Austria’s eAusweise held up as a model for EU digital ID

Austria’s digital ID wallet eAusweise supports the mobile driver’s license (mDL) and the app now supports digital vehicle registration certificates, age verification and identity verification on both iOS and Android devices.

Users can share their vehicle registration fully digitally with family or colleagues, and police officers can perform roadside checks by scanning a single QR code that presents both driver’s licence and registration.

Coordinated by the Austrian Federal Computing Centre (BRZ GmbH), eAusweise has been adopted rapidly nationwide. More than 800,000 Austrians have secured a mDL alongside thousands of digital registration certificates and verifications of age and identity. Overall app downloads have topped 2.3 million.

The European Union has singled out Austria for special recognition. Austria’s mDL stands alone as the only operational EU-wide mDL built to the ISO/IEC 18013-5 standard. Looking toward 2026 and the rollout of the EU Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI Wallet), Austria’s platform is already largely compliant with forthcoming requirements. By law every member state must provide compatible mobile ID documents by December 2026, valid across the EU.

The vision is that Austrian drivers on holiday anywhere in Europe will simply present their ISO-standard mDL to local authorities via smartphone. The mDL and other eAusweise documents were developed by youniqx Identity AG, a subsidiary of the Austrian State Printing House (OSD).

“We are proud to use our internationally recognized experience in digital identity solutions for the Republic of Austria,” said OSD General Director and youniqx CEO Helmut Lackner. “This helps make digital identity a reality for millions of citizens.”

Austria will soon offer registration for its digital identity service in more municipalities, State Secretary Alexander Pröll has announced. Currently available in 890 municipalities, the platform is set to expand to an additional 1,200 locations in the coming months. Pröll said high demand has driven the rollout. Registered users has risen from 3.9 million at launch, in July, to 4.1 million with a target of around nine million users by 2030.

Pröll highlighted that citizens can already complete over 500 administrative procedures online through ID Austria, and next year the service will add a digital student ID. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner described the initiative’s twin goals as “more service, less bureaucracy” and “simple and secure use,” reported in Vol.at.

Johannes Pressl, president of the Austrian Municipal Association and mayor of Ardagger, said the platform will unite a bundle of digital identifiers under one “central key.” He explained that municipalities without the service will soon receive letters inviting them to join.

ID Austria allows users to securely sign contracts and verify their identities on smartphones, and the mobile registration tour will continue through year’s end to onboard new towns and cities.

Article Topics

age verification  |  Australia  |  digital ID  |  digital wallets  |  eAusweise  |  EU Digital Identity Wallet  |  identity verification  |  mDL (mobile driver's license)  |  YOUNIQX Identity AG