Adoption and adjustments in an eIDAS 2.0 Europe

By Jarek Sygitowicz, co-founder & Chief Strategy Officer at Authologic

Much ink has been spilled over the logic and progress of eID adoption in Europe. EU-wide adoption, pushed along by deadlines associated with the eIDAS 2.0 framework and private sector incentives, has long been treated as a major policy ambition. There’s a certain sense of urgency, thanks to the December 2026 deadline for Member States to introduce at least one EUDI Wallet that meets eIDAS requirements of open-source principles and electronic signature support.

A follow-up deadline in December 2027 mandates that certain private entities, generally referred to as “relying parties,” must integrate with the EUDI ecosystem and adapt their authentication flows accordingly. This obligation falls on any business legally or contractually required to use Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) that operates in one of the sectors specified in the regulation, such as banking, telecom, or healthcare.

At base, digital identity in Europe aims to be guided by security, transparency, inclusivity, and legal validity. But is it happening?

It depends where you look. Digital identity is as much of a nation-by-nation process as it is a Union-wide one. In hopes of avoiding a cold start come December, some countries are successfully pre-boarding millions of users prior to larger rollouts. France Identité, which hit 4 million users this March after tying adoption to simplifying electoral procedures, is a strategic precursor to the EUDI Wallet.

The question of digital identity adoption in Europe is ultimately one of getting everyone to row together without overriding individual national priorities. It’s a balancing act Europe 

has achieved before, and there’s no reason it can’t manage it again.

Mass adoption success stories

Some Member States have opted for a consolidated model, aiming to create a "first choice" app for everything. Italy’s CIE ID gateway and Spain’s Cl@ve are both hovering at just over 40% penetration, thanks to their pragmatic, user-centric approaches. Earlier this year, Italy made CIE ID the secure gateway, implementing a fully digital driving licence and vehicle registration document on its accompanying IO app. Spain’s ID provides one-click power of attorney authorisation, so citizens can name trusted relatives to handle official matters in their stead.

Poland, an early adopter and model country for eIDs, has also expanded its mObywatel 2.0 well beyond standard digital driving licences. Key new features include e-Deliveries (digital registered letters replacing paper), professional ID capabilities for doctors and teachers, and birth registration. The app now acts as an essential tool for work

and communication with authorities, rather than just a digital identity wallet.

Several non-EU (but EU-adjacent) countries have similarly hit their eID stride in 2026. The British government has carried out an aggressive consolidation, replacing over a dozen different systems with GOV.UK One Login. It was made the mandatory access point for many popular social and NHS-related health benefits, prompting millions of downloads and a staggering 39.6% growth. 

Switzerland’s Swiyu app is also in an advanced nationwide pilot phase, attracting more users thanks to its full technical integration with biometric passports and ID cards. An in-progress pilot program is trialing the opening of bank accounts without video verification, shortening the identity confirmation process to 30 seconds. For a country initially plagued by skepticism and setbacks, this represents a huge turnaround—driven primarily by giving people the features that actually make their digital and financial lives easier.

Public wallets, private adjustments

All these pre-adoption layers will keep the EUDI Wallet from launching into a total vacuum. Nothing will happen overnight, but the adoption process will be met with a multi-state user base that’s increasingly active, verified, and accustomed to digital identity workflows. By keeping traditional verification methods active, relying parties will help Europe’s extended transition to a unified identity standard go smoothly. In time, incremental uptake will accelerate to rapid scale.

If you’re a relying party, you need to be ready with the mandated high-assurance authentication whenever SCA is legally or contractually mandated. Although EUDI-based authentication simplifies cross-jurisdiction compliance, it also introduces operational complexity around integration and user journey redesign that will require investment and coordination. 

Two major shifts are happening almost simultaneously. The first is the long-awaited eID adoption push among individual European countries. The second is a rebalancing within the private sector, which has long maintained significant control over authentication mechanisms, going so far as to tailor them to their own risk models and customer experiences. Relying parties must prepare to offer the wallet option as a compliant path parallel to any existing authorization methods. Users can still use said existing flows, but now they have a choice.

When countries stopped treating national digital IDs as a hassle, governments and citizens started reaping the benefits. Organisations that treat EUDI integration as a checkbox exercise will similarly miss much broader opportunities. Streamlined onboarding, reduced fraud, better cross-border services are the future of an increasingly integrated European market. We’re actively moving beyond the initial phases of Europe’s digital transformation. With this kind of momentum thanks to eIDAS 2.0, it’s safe to say that we’re well on our way.