Digital identity and business wallets are finally becoming concrete solutions in Europe. The European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI Wallet) will be introduced in Finland in December 2026, with digital business wallets following soon after. For many private and public organisations, this presents new opportunities to streamline operations and enhance trust in digital services. For others, it also means statutory obligations that require timely preparation.
So where should you begin to ensure that digital identity solutions work effectively in practice?
1. Understand your organisation’s role in the ecosystem
The first step is to identify your organisation’s role within the digital identity ecosystem. In relation to electronic attestations, an organisation may act, for example, as an issuer of credentials, a wallet user, or a relying party. Often, organisations will assume several roles simultaneously.
For example, a municipality may act as an issuer when granting residents electronic credentials such as service vouchers, parking permits or proof of municipality of residence. At the same time, the municipality may act as a relying party when verifying a resident’s entitlement to use a specific service. It may, for instance, check a resident’s municipality code from the wallet and offer or price certain services differently for local residents and non-residents.
A retail operator, in turn, may act as a relying party in supply chain management by automatically verifying a supplier’s or partner’s rights before granting them access to warehouses, distribution centres or systems.
As the EUDI Wallet can also be used for identification, certain sectors will be required to accept it for strong electronic identification. Understanding your role helps clarify the opportunities and responsibilities that arise for your organisation. This is the most important starting point when preparing for the era of digital wallets.
2. Identify stakeholders and use cases
Digital identity affects customers, partners, employees and authorities. Therefore, identifying stakeholders and concrete use cases is critical.
Useful questions include:
- In which of our services is strong authentication essential?
- Could an electronic credential replace a paper-based process where:
- cost savings are sought?
- fraud and forgery risks need to be managed – given that electronic credentials contain a digital signature?
- Can we create new services for corporate customers or partners?
- Could a digital wallet improve the customer experience – online or at physical service points?
- What obligations does legislation impose on different actors?
When use cases are clearly defined, investments can be targeted appropriately and organisations can quickly realise tangible benefits from digital wallets. Identifying use cases requires a thorough understanding of your organisation’s processes and, for example, customer journeys.
3. Ensure the quality of registers and data
Digital identity is built on reliable and up-to-date information. It is essential to understand where data resides and how it is used. The EUDI Wallet can operate in two ways: either a person is identified and relevant data is retrieved from back-end systems, or previously issued electronic credentials stored in the wallet are presented.
In the first model, the wallet is used for strong authentication. Once a person has been reliably identified, the service retrieves the necessary information, such as address details or service entitlements, from its own registers. In this case, it is critical that the data in back-end systems is accurate and consistent. If, for example, different municipal registers contain conflicting address information, the service will not be able to make an automated decision even if authentication is successful.
In the second model, the user presents an electronic credential from their wallet, such as proof of municipality of residence or professional qualification. In this case, responsibility for the accuracy of the information lies with the credential issuer. For example, if a construction worker’s qualification data is not up to date in the issuing organisation’s register, automated verification and supervision on a construction site via the wallet will fail.
In addition, the data content of credentials must be clearly defined so that the receiving party can interpret and process them automatically.
4. Design sustainable architecture and interoperability
Realising the benefits requires different services and processes to work together seamlessly, and authentication and credential use to be smoothly integrated into digital services. A sustainable architecture takes into account integration with existing systems, scalability for future needs, EU-level requirements and standards, as well as applicable national legislation.
For example, if a city grants a building permit to a resident, the permit could be issued as a digital credential to the wallet. In this case, building control authorities must be able to verify the validity and content of the permit from the digital credential. It is important to determine whether the credential must function both in remote transactions and on-site inspections.
Well-designed architecture and processes enable automated checks, reducing manual work and supporting process automation – particularly in the case of business wallets.
5. Prioritise security and user experience
Trust is built on security and ease of use. Digital identity often involves sensitive data, which makes cybersecurity and data protection fundamental requirements rather than optional features.
At the same time, user experience determines whether solutions are actually adopted. Clear processes and understandable choices benefit both individuals and organisations. When well designed, digital identity solutions enable organisations to significantly improve customer experience and introduce new services for customers and stakeholders. In addition to usability, it is crucial that all three parties – the issuer, the user and the relying party – benefit from the wallet.
Digital identity and business wallets will rapidly transform organisational operating models in the near future. Success requires a holistic understanding of business, technology and regulation. Gofore has over 20 years of experience in digital services, registers and identification ecosystems (Suomi.fi), as well as strong expertise in ethical and secure digitalisation. We help our clients identify the right roles and use cases and build a controlled transition towards the era of digital identity.
What is it about?
The EUDI Wallet (European Digital Identity Wallet) is a digital identity solution based on the EU’s eIDAS Regulation. It enables strong electronic identification, electronic signatures and the management of digital credentials issued by authorities across the EU. The aim is to provide smoother digital services, improved data protection and interoperable digital identity throughout the EU. In Finland, the EUDI Wallet will be provided by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency in December 2026.
European Business Wallets (legal entity digital wallet) is a digital identity solution for companies, public sector organisations and other legal entities. It enables the digital verification of an organisation’s identity and the roles, mandates and authorisations of its representatives across the EU. It allows organisations to interact electronically and in an automated manner with authorities and partners, for example by verifying representation rights, submitting official and business credentials, and signing or sealing documents. The EU regulation on business wallets is expected to enter into force in 2027.
