Belgium Launches First EUDI Wallet in EU - MyGov.be Goes Live May 2024

Belgium becomes first EU member state to launch production EUDI Wallet with MyGov.be, 2.5 years ahead of regulatory deadline.

The Significance of Being First

Belgium decision to launch a production EUDI Wallet 2.5 years before the regulatory deadline of late 2026 is not merely a matter of national pride. Being the first mover in a pan-European infrastructure project confers tangible advantages that compound over time. Belgium gains real-world operational experience with the technology while other countries are still in planning stages. Bugs are discovered and fixed, user experience is refined, and organizational processes are established through actual deployment rather than theoretical design.

The first-mover position also gives Belgium outsized influence in shaping the evolving EUDI technical standards. When the European Commission working groups discuss implementation details, Belgium can contribute insights grounded in operational reality rather than speculation. This practical experience carries weight in standardization discussions and positions Belgian technical experts as authorities within the EU digital identity community.

For Belgian citizens, the early launch means earlier access to the convenience and privacy benefits of digital identity credentials. Rather than waiting for the EU-wide deadline, Belgians can begin using their digital wallet for government services, healthcare interactions, and other supported use cases immediately. The head start in citizen adoption also means that Belgium private sector has more time to develop services and integrations around the wallet platform.

The itsme Foundation: Belgium Secret Advantage

Belgium ability to launch first is largely attributable to a unique asset in its digital identity space: the itsme mobile identity application. Developed as a public-private partnership between the Belgian government and a consortium of major Belgian banks and mobile operators, itsme has achieved remarkable adoption rates, with millions of active users in a country of approximately 11.5 million people. This existing digital identity infrastructure provided the foundation upon which MyGov.be could be built.

The itsme system already solved many of the challenges that other countries are still grappling with: identity proofing at scale, mobile device binding, biometric authentication, and user experience optimization. By using itsme as an authentication pathway for MyGov.be, Belgium avoided the need to build these capabilities from scratch. Citizens who were already comfortable authenticating with itsme for banking and government services found the transition to MyGov.be natural and intuitive.

The dual authentication approach, supporting both the traditional eID card and the modern itsme app, reflects Belgium commitment to digital inclusion. Not all citizens have smartphones capable of running itsme, and some prefer the familiar eID card approach. By supporting both methods, MyGov.be ensures that the digital wallet is accessible to the broadest possible population rather than creating a technology barrier that would exclude certain groups.

Document Types and Credential Coverage

The initial launch of MyGov.be included a carefully selected set of document types chosen for their practical value and technical readiness. Identity data forms the core, providing the digital equivalent of the Belgian identity card. This fundamental credential enables all other interactions within the wallet ecosystem, as it establishes the verified identity upon which additional credentials are anchored.

Health-related credentials were prioritized due to the practical experience gained during the COVID-19 pandemic. Belgium, like other EU countries, implemented digital vaccination and test certificates, which familiarized both citizens and institutions with the concept of digital health credentials. The ISI+ healthcare card integration extends this into ongoing healthcare access, enabling Belgian citizens to present their health insurance credential digitally when visiting healthcare providers.

Civil records, including birth and marriage certificates, address a common bureaucratic need. Citizens frequently need to present these documents for various administrative processes: registering children in schools, applying for family benefits, updating records after marriage, or handling inheritance matters. Digital versions stored in MyGov.be eliminate the need to request paper copies from the civil registry for each such interaction, saving both citizen time and government administrative resources.

Lessons for Other EU Member States

Belgium early launch has already generated valuable lessons for the 26 other EU member states preparing their own EUDI Wallet implementations. The most significant insight is that existing digital identity infrastructure dramatically accelerates deployment. Countries with mature eID systems and high digital literacy can build their EUDI Wallets faster than those starting from a lower baseline. This suggests that member states with less developed digital identity infrastructure should prioritize foundational capability building now, even before the EUDI-specific development begins.

Belgium also demonstrated the importance of public-private partnership in digital identity. The itsme model, where banks and telecoms partnered with the government to create a shared identity infrastructure, produced a more user-friendly and widely adopted solution than a purely government-led approach would likely have achieved. Other member states are studying this model as they design their own wallet implementations.

The technical architecture decisions made by Belgium are also informing EU-wide standardization. MyGov.be implementation choices around credential format, storage security, presentation protocols, and revocation handling are being evaluated against the evolving Architecture Reference Framework. Where Belgium practical experience reveals gaps or ambiguities in the framework specifications, these findings feed back into the standardization process, benefiting all member states.

The Road Ahead for Belgium EUDI Wallet

The May 2024 launch represents the beginning rather than the endpoint of Belgium EUDI Wallet journey. The roadmap calls for expanding the credential types supported by MyGov.be, integrating additional government services, and enabling private sector acceptance of wallet credentials. Driver license credentials, educational qualifications, and professional certifications are among the planned additions.

Cross-border interoperability is a key focus area for the next phase. While MyGov.be currently serves primarily Belgian citizens and residents, the EUDI framework requires mutual recognition of credentials across member states. Belgium is participating in cross-border pilot programs with neighboring countries, testing scenarios where Belgian credentials are verified by foreign services and vice versa. These pilots are essential for identifying and resolving interoperability challenges before the EU-wide deadline.

Private sector integration represents perhaps the largest expansion opportunity. Belgian banks, insurers, telecommunications companies, and other service providers are exploring how to accept MyGov.be credentials for customer onboarding, age verification, and identity verification. The regulatory framework requires VLOPs to accept wallet credentials by 2027, but Belgium early launch means that private sector adoption can begin earlier, creating a richer ecosystem of services that incentivizes citizen adoption and generates practical value from the wallet infrastructure.