The revised eIDAS regulation, effective from May 2024, aims to make this vision a reality across Europe. By introducing a unified digital identity system and enabling the use of digital credentials, it promises to eliminate the need for traditional paper-based or fragmented online processes.
What are digital credentials?
Think of digital credentials as modern, electronic versions of the documents you use in daily life. For example:
- Your driver’s license could become a secure file on your phone.
- A diploma or professional license might be a verified, shareable record in a digital wallet.
- Your proof of residency, business registration, or health insurance could be available at your fingertips.
Digital credentials are issued by trusted authorities, securely stored in your Digital Identity Wallet, and shared only when needed.
Unlike paper or physical documents, digital credentials:
- Are instantly verifiable: They confirm their authenticity and validity in real time.
- Enhance security: They reduce fraud risks by making it harder to forge or alter.
- Put you in control: You decide who gets access and what they can see.
Why this matters
The eIDAS revision isn’t just about proving who you are – it’s about making everyday tasks simpler by getting rid of outdated, cumbersome paperwork.
Here’s how digital credentials can transform your life:
- Replace endless paperwork: Whether it’s submitting proof of income for a loan or showing your medical history to a doctor abroad, digital credentials allow you to share verified information instantly – no need for hard copies or scans.
- Access services across Europe: With the new European Digital Identity Wallet, your digital credentials will work seamlessly across borders, whether you’re renting a car in Spain, applying for university in France, or accessing healthcare in Germany.
- Control your own information: You no longer have to hand over photocopies of your ID or sensitive personal documents. Instead, you can share only the specific details required – like confirming your age without showing your full date of birth.
- Stronger fraud protection: Digital credentials use encryption and advanced security measures, making it far more difficult to counterfeit than traditional documents.
How does it work?
By the end of 2026, every EU citizen will have access to a European Digital Identity Wallet, an app-like tool where you can store and manage your digital credentials.
Here’s what it will do:
- Secure storage: Safely hold digital versions of your ID, qualifications, licenses, and more.
- Instant sharing: Provide specific credentials instantly when requested, such as proving your eligibility for a loan or your vaccination status.
- Seamless verification: Organizations and authorities can quickly confirm your credentials’ authenticity without waiting for manual checks.
Tieto pioneers in digital identity solutions
Tieto has been at the forefront of initiatives turning traditional documentation into digital credentials. Here’s how we’re leading the way:
- Real-Time Economy Project: We were responsible for designing the business and technical framework for the eReceipt ecosystem. Our role was to plan and specify the key elements necessary for the secure and interoperable exchange of digital receipts, laying the groundwork for verifiable, secure digital receipts within the broader context of digital identity.
- EUDI Wallet Consortium: As part of the Finnish Tax Administration team, we’re helping develop the EU Digital Identity (EUDI) Large-Scale Pilots.
- Finnish Digital Agency: We are contributing to the development of the EU Digital Identity wallet.
- PHEMS: We are actively involved in the PHEMS project, which focuses on creating a decentralized health data ecosystem across European children’s hospitals. As part of this initiative, Tietoevry is developing federated analytics infrastructure to allow secure data sharing and real-time analysis without transferring sensitive health data between hospitals. Our expertise in digital identity solutions plays a crucial role in supporting this innovative approach to healthcare data management.
- Findynet Cooperative: We have played a pivotal role in the establishment and development of the Findynet Cooperative, a non-profit organization focused on building a secure digital identity trust network. Our involvement in Findynet helps promote secure data sharing across organizations and ensures trust in digital transactions.