Poland Projects 20 Million mObywatel Users by 2031 - Ambitious Growth Target

Polish Ministry of Digital Affairs announces goal of 20 million mObywatel users (over 50% of population) by 2031.

mObywatel: Poland's Rapid Rise in Digital Identity

The mObywatel application (meaning "mCitizen" in Polish) represents one of the most remarkable digital identity success stories in Central and Eastern Europe. Launched initially as a limited government app, mObywatel underwent a dramatic transformation beginning in 2020 when the Polish Ministry of Digital Affairs (Ministerstwo Cyfryzacji) invested heavily in expanding its capabilities and user base. The timing coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, which created urgent demand for contactless identity verification and remote access to government services.

The application has since been downloaded over 20 million times, making it one of the most widely adopted government apps in the European Union relative to population size. For a country of approximately 38 million people, this penetration rate is exceptional and places Poland alongside Nordic countries in terms of digital identity adoption. The rapid growth was driven by practical utility: mObywatel offered citizens the ability to carry legally valid digital versions of their most commonly used documents, starting with the driving licence and progressively expanding to include the national ID card, vehicle registration, and other credentials.

Poland's achievement is particularly noteworthy given the country's starting point. As recently as 2018, Poland was considered a digital government laggard within the EU, ranking well below the European average on most digitalization metrics. The transformation that followed - driven by strong political commitment, substantial investment, and capable technical execution by COI (Centralny Osrodek Informatyki) - demonstrates that rapid catching-up is possible when the right institutional conditions are in place.

mDowód: The Digital National ID Card

The flagship feature of mObywatel is the mDowód (digital ID card), which provides a legally recognized digital version of the Polish national identity card (dowód osobisty). When a citizen activates mDowód within the mObywatel app, the digital ID is cryptographically linked to their physical identity card and to their entry in the PESEL register (Poland's universal civil registration system). The mDowód displays the citizen's photograph, name, date of birth, PESEL number, and other key identification data, along with a QR code that can be scanned by authorized verifiers.

Since 2023, the mDowód has been legally valid for identity verification in a growing number of contexts within Poland. Citizens can present their mDowód at banks when opening accounts, at post offices when collecting registered mail, at pharmacies when picking up prescriptions, and during interactions with law enforcement. The legal framework recognizing digital identity documents was established through amendments to the Act on Identity Documents and supporting regulations, providing a clear legal basis for both citizens and service providers.

The digital driving licence within mObywatel has been an even bigger adoption driver. Polish citizens can present their digital driving licence during traffic stops, and police officers can verify it in real time through the Central Register of Drivers. This practical everyday use case has been instrumental in driving mObywatel downloads, as it eliminates the risk of being caught without a physical driving licence. The success of the digital driving licence has validated Poland's approach of building wallet adoption through high-frequency document use cases.

COI: The Technical Engine Behind mObywatel

The Centralny Osrodek Informatyki (Central IT Center, abbreviated COI) is the government agency that develops and maintains mObywatel along with numerous other critical digital government systems. COI operates under the Ministry of Digital Affairs and has grown significantly in both size and capability since 2020. The agency employs hundreds of software developers, architects, and security specialists who work on the full stack of Polish digital government infrastructure, from mobile applications to backend registries and APIs.

COI's development approach for mObywatel follows an agile methodology with frequent releases. The app is updated regularly with new features, security patches, and performance improvements. The team conducts extensive user testing to ensure the app remains accessible to users across a wide range of technical literacy levels - a critical consideration in a country where the digital divide between urban and rural populations remains significant. COI has invested in making mObywatel work well on older and lower-end smartphones, recognizing that not all citizens have access to the latest devices.

For the EUDI Wallet transition, COI is leading the development of mObywatel 3.0, which will add the technical capabilities required by the eIDAS 2.0 regulation. This includes support for verifiable credentials in standard European formats, cross-border credential presentation protocols, selective disclosure mechanisms, and integration with the EU-wide trust framework. COI's experience building and scaling mObywatel 2.0 provides a strong foundation for this evolution, though the complexity of cross-border interoperability adds new challenges that go beyond the domestic capabilities already in place.

ePUAP and Profil Zaufany: The Authentication Foundation

mObywatel exists within a broader Polish digital identity ecosystem that includes ePUAP (Elektroniczna Platforma Usług Administracji Publicznej - Electronic Platform for Public Administration Services) and Profil Zaufany (Trusted Profile). ePUAP is the national portal for accessing electronic government services, serving as the primary interface between citizens and government authorities for administrative procedures. Profil Zaufany is the identity verification mechanism that authenticates citizens when they access ePUAP and other government services.

Profil Zaufany functions as Poland's electronic identity confirmation system. Citizens can obtain a Profil Zaufany by verifying their identity through a bank (using the strong KYC verification that banks already perform), at a government office, or through the mObywatel app itself. Once obtained, Profil Zaufany allows the citizen to log into government services, submit official documents electronically, and create legally binding digital signatures. Over 20 million Poles have activated a Profil Zaufany, demonstrating the widespread acceptance of digital identity verification in the country.

The integration between mObywatel and Profil Zaufany creates a complete digital identity experience. Citizens can use mObywatel to authenticate with their Profil Zaufany, which in turn grants access to the full range of government services available through ePUAP. This layered architecture - mObywatel as the citizen-facing app, Profil Zaufany as the authentication layer, and ePUAP as the service platform - provides a natural structure for EUDI Wallet capabilities, where mObywatel serves as the wallet, Profil Zaufany provides the trust anchor, and government services provide the initial use cases.

Poland's Rapid Digitalization Since 2020

Poland's digital government transformation since 2020 has been one of the most rapid in the European Union. The country jumped multiple positions in EU digital government rankings, driven by a combination of political prioritization, substantial investment (including EU recovery funds), and effective execution by agencies like COI and the Ministry of Digital Affairs. The COVID-19 pandemic served as a catalyst, as the urgent need for contactless government services justified accelerated development timelines and streamlined procurement processes.

Key milestones in this rapid digitalization include the legal recognition of digital identity documents (2023), the launch of mDowód as a legally valid ID (2023), the integration of vehicle registration into mObywatel, the introduction of electronic prescriptions through the e-Recepta system, and the digitalization of school enrollment and university application processes. Each of these milestones created additional reasons for citizens to download and use mObywatel, building the user base that now positions Poland for a strong EUDI Wallet deployment.

The Ministry of Digital Affairs has set the ambitious target of 20 million active mObywatel users by 2031, representing over 50% of Poland's population. This target is supported by a multi-year strategy that includes expanding the range of documents available in the app, increasing the number of service providers that accept digital credentials, and running nationwide awareness campaigns. The EUDI Wallet mandate provides additional momentum for this strategy, as compliance with eIDAS 2.0 will require expanding mObywatel's capabilities in ways that also increase its utility for domestic users. Poland's trajectory suggests that the 20 million target is achievable, and the country is well positioned to be among the EUDI deployment leaders in Central and Eastern Europe.