Czechia’s EUDI Wallet to go live in early 2027

Czechia is planning to make the full production version of its national digital identity available by early 2027, falling behind the EU’s schedule to launch the European Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet by the end of 2026.

The Czech Digital and Information Agency (DIA) is currently testing the system’s functionality and the ability of digital wallets to interact with one another, according to the agency’s spokesperson, Jan Hainz.

“All parts of the project are either in the implementation stage or in an advanced stage of public procurement,” says Hainz, according to a machine translation. “Our goal is to launch all elements of the EUDI wallet ecosystem in the Czech Republic by the end of 2026. If there is a delay in public procurement, the ecosystem will be launched temporarily in trial operation – without public access. The start of production operation in a certified environment would then begin in the first quarter of 2027.”

The new system will enable residents to use e-government services, open bank accounts and present a mobile driver’s license (mDL).

Pilot testing for the digital identity is already underway. The country has been planning to upgrade its mobile app eDoklady to an EUDI Wallet, enabling it to serve as an eID and store digital versions of identity credentials and certificates.

A consortium of Czech companies, universities and public institutions has also joined the EUDI Wallet Large-Scale pilots, according to news outlet Seznam Zprávy.

“They are testing the ability of systems to provide services to each other and cooperate, as well as the security and usability of key scenarios across the EU,” Hainz said, according to a machine translation. “Feedback from the pilots is essential for us. The biggest challenge is not the technology itself, but the harmonization of processes and rules between individual countries.”

Legally residing non-EU citizens in Czechia can also use the wallet to access services abroad, Expats.cz reports.

The EUDI Wallet is due to launch at the end of this year, but not all countries are equally prepared for its arrival. Research by digital identity verification company Signicat has confirmed that the Czech digital ID is unlikely to be ready on time.

The firm has recently published an analysis of what could cause the EUDI Wallet to fail.

Article Topics

Czechia  |  digital ID  |  digital wallets  |  EU Digital Identity Wallet  |  interoperability