Croatia is targeting Q4 2026 for certified EUDI Wallet issuance, building on established eID infrastructure (since 2015), Mobile.ID app, and Digital Croatia Strategy 2032, advancing from late starter to active participant in European digital identity deployment.
From Late Starter to Q4 2026 Target
According to reports from mid-2025, Croatia was among four EU Member States (Bulgaria, Croatia, Malta, and Romania) that had not yet started the EUDI Wallet initiative. However, more recent information shows Croatia has since made significant progress.
Rapid acceleration: Croatia is steadily advancing toward the rollout of the European Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet, aligning national infrastructure, policy, and services to meet the requirements of the new EU framework. The issuance of the certified EUDI Wallet is planned for Q4 2026, alongside the integration of private electronic services and public promotion efforts.
Croatia is implementing the EU Digital Identity framework into its national Digital Information Infrastructure (DII), and aligning with the Architecture Reference Framework (ARF) to ensure wallet rollout within 24 months. This demonstrates that even late starters can catch up with focused effort and proper strategy.
eID Cards: Foundation Since 2015
The Ministry of the Interior began issuing electronic identity cards in 2015, which are considered to be high-security credentials. The second generation electronic ID came out in 2021, with applications starting on August 2, 2021.
Two Certificate Types
The new ID card contains two certificates:
1. Identification certificate: Used for electronic identity verification and authentication when accessing electronic services.
2. Signature certificate: Supports a qualified electronic signature, providing legally binding digital signatures compliant with eIDAS regulations.
Activation Process
To use an electronic identity card for electronic services, its electronic part must be activated through the eID Portal in three basic steps: logging in and changing the initial password, downloading free software, and activating the electronic part with PIN change. This secure activation ensures only the legitimate cardholder can access electronic identity capabilities.
eCitizens Portal: 100+ Services
An electronic identity card with an active identification certificate is used for registration on e-Citizen portal on the Internet site https://pretinac.gov.hr and other e-services. Citizens can use their eID for all e-services offered by the e-Citizens system, as well as all other electronic services in Croatia, regardless of the service provider.
After activation, more than 100 services are available via the eCitizens platform, including passport and driving license applications. The government is upgrading digital platforms like mCitizens and the e-Citizens portal to improve user experience and expand access to public services.
Mobile.ID: Highest Security Level Mobile Credential
The Mobile.ID mobile app provides a digital credential of the highest level of security, giving each person who activates their eID card a mobile identity for accessing e-services through mobile devices. This mobile-first approach complements physical eID cards, ensuring flexibility in how citizens authenticate.
EU/EEA Cross-Border Integration
Croatian electronic identity cards are also accepted in the European Economic Area (EU countries, Norway, Iceland, and Lichtenstein), and the system enables EU/EEA citizens to access public e-services provided by Croatian institutions using electronic identification issued in other Member States.
This existing cross-border functionality demonstrates Croatia's readiness for EUDI wallet interoperability, particularly important given extensive international visitor traffic from tourism.
NIAS: National Identification Since 2014
Croatia's journey began in 2014 with the launch of the National Identification and Authentication System (NIAS), offering seven credentials. This decade-long experience with national digital identity infrastructure provides a proven foundation for EUDI wallet deployment.
Digital Croatia Strategy 2032
The largest digital initiatives in Croatia are defined in the National Development Strategy until 2030 and the Digital Croatia Strategy towards 2032, aligned with the Europe's Digital Decade Policy Program. In the past three years, initiatives have been mainly funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NPOO).
Croatia's digital initiatives and strategies are a part of the European Digital Decade policy program, which guides Europe's digital transformation through 2030 and sets up an annual cooperation cycle for Member States to achieve common objectives and targets in four key areas: ICT skills, business transformation, secure and sustainable digital infrastructures, and digitalization of public services.
€634.73 Million Digital Roadmap
Croatia's roadmap is composed of 31 measures with a total budget of €634.73 million (equivalent to 0.74% of GDP). This substantial investment supports complete digital transformation including EUDI wallet deployment.
€1.55 Billion Recovery Plan Allocation
Croatia allocates 20% of its total Recovery and Resilience plan to digital ($1.55 billion). Under cohesion policy, an additional $887 million (9% of the country's total cohesion policy funding) is allocated to the country's digital transformation.
Above-Average Digital Skills
With about 63% of people with at least basic digital skills, Croatia performs well above EU average of 54% and is progressing well towards the 80% target for 2030. This strong skills foundation ensures citizen readiness for EUDI wallet adoption.
Challenges: Certification and SME Digitalization
Croatia has made strong progress in digital infrastructure and cybersecurity, but continues to face challenges in SME digitalisation and the uptake of advanced technologies. Challenges remain, particularly around interoperability, GDPR alignment, and the lack of a national certification scheme for wallet solutions, with officials acknowledging concerns about certification.
These challenges are being actively addressed as part of the Q4 2026 rollout preparations, with alignment to ARF standards and DII integration designed to overcome technical barriers.
Tourism and Cross-Border Use Cases
Given Croatia's status as a major tourism destination with extensive international visitor traffic, the EUDI wallet emphasizes tourism and cross-border use cases. The existing EU/EEA integration and focus on interoperability align perfectly with tourism sector needs for smooth cross-border digital identity verification.
Path to Q4 2026 Launch
With Q4 2026 certified EUDI wallet issuance target, eID cards operational since 2015 (2nd generation 2021 with qualified signatures), Mobile.ID app for highest security mobile credentials, eCitizens portal with 100+ services, NIAS foundation since 2014, EU/EEA cross-border integration, Digital Croatia Strategy 2032, €634.73M digital roadmap (31 measures, 0.74% GDP), €1.55B recovery plan allocation (20% to digital), and 63% basic digital skills (EU: 54%), Croatia demonstrates that focused acceleration can overcome late-starter status.
The combination of established infrastructure (eID since 2015, NIAS since 2014), mobile-first approach (Mobile.ID), complete service integration (100+ eCitizens services), cross-border experience (EU/EEA acceptance), substantial investment (€1.55B + €887M), and above-average digital skills positions Croatia to meet the December 2026 deadline despite being among the last four countries to start the initiative — proving that strong existing digital identity foundations enable rapid EUDI wallet deployment.
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