Head-to-Head Comparison
| Feature | Italy | Belgium |
|---|---|---|
| app Name | IT-Wallet | MyGov.be |
| auth Method | SPID / CIE | eID or itsme |
| launch Status | Active pilot | Live since May 2024 |
| user Base | 37M SPID users foundation | 7M+ itsme users |
| current Features | Pilot features, SPID integration | ID, certificates, ISI+ healthcare card |
| leadership | AgID | Belgian government + itsme partnership |
Winner by Category
availability
🏆 Belgium (MyGov.be)
userBase
🏆 Italy (IT-Wallet)
firstMover
🏆 Belgium (MyGov.be)
foundation
🏆 Italy (IT-Wallet)
Architecture and Technical Approach
Italy and Belgium both bring impressive digital identity heritage to their EUDI Wallet implementations. Italy's IT-Wallet is a mobile-first solution managed by AgID, building on the SPID ecosystem with its 37 million users and multiple certified identity providers. The architecture integrates both SPID software-based authentication and CIE hardware-backed authentication, offering flexibility across assurance levels.
Belgium's MyGov.be wallet uses the pioneering itsme platform, a public-private partnership between the Belgian government, banks, and telecom operators. This unique model means the wallet integrates smoothly with both government services and private-sector applications. The Belgian eID card, introduced in 2003, provides hardware-backed authentication alongside itsme's mobile-only option.
Both countries use hybrid authentication models offering users a choice between hardware-backed and software-based methods. Italy's approach is government-centralized through AgID; Belgium's is a collaborative public-private effort. Both meet eIDAS 2.0 requirements while reflecting their distinct governance traditions.
Security Models Compared
Italy's SPID tiered assurance model (Levels 1-3) provides flexible security scaling based on transaction risk. High-assurance operations use the CIE card with NFC, while routine operations use SPID Level 2. AgID certifies all SPID identity providers, ensuring consistent security standards across the multi-provider ecosystem.
Belgium's security combines the eID card's PKI capabilities (since 2003) with itsme's SIM-based security and biometric verification. The dual-path model provides redundancy: if one authentication channel is compromised, the other remains available. Belgian security benefits from the banking sector's rigorous fraud prevention expertise brought through the itsme partnership.
Both countries achieve eIDAS 2.0 Level of Assurance High through their respective hardware-backed authentication options (CIE for Italy, eID card for Belgium), while also offering convenient mobile-only paths for lower-assurance transactions.
User Experience and Adoption
Both countries show impressive adoption numbers. Italy's 37M SPID users and Belgium's 7M+ itsme users both represent strong per-capita penetration. The key difference is that Belgium's MyGov.be is already live as a EUDI Wallet, while Italy's IT-Wallet is in active pilot transitioning toward full launch.
Belgium's advantage is the itsme app's dual utility for both government and private-sector services. Belgians use itsme daily for banking, insurance, and telecom, creating habitual usage that government-only apps struggle to achieve. Italy's SPID is primarily used for government services, though private-sector use is growing.
Both wallets benefit from populations accustomed to digital identity and mobile services. Belgium's real-world deployment since May 2024 provides operational maturity, while Italy's active pilot generates insights from a much larger user population.
Cross-Border Interoperability
Under eIDAS 2.0, IT-Wallet credentials must be accepted in Belgium and MyGov.be credentials must work in Italy. The standardized credential formats ensure that mobile-first Italian credentials and public-private Belgian credentials are equally valid at the verification layer. Both countries participate in EU Large Scale Pilots testing cross-border scenarios.
Belgium's position as an EU institutional hub means it frequently receives credential presentations from citizens of all member states, including Italy. This makes Belgium an important testing ground for cross-border wallet interoperability that benefits the entire EUDI ecosystem.
For the Italian community in Belgium and Belgian tourists in Italy, EUDI Wallet interoperability will streamline identity verification for services, employment, and travel across both countries.
Which Should You Choose?
Use the wallet provided by your country of residence. Italian residents use IT-Wallet; Belgian residents use MyGov.be with itsme. Both provide full EU-wide interoperability under eIDAS 2.0.
Belgium leads in deployment maturity and private-sector integration through the itsme partnership model. Italy leads in absolute user base scale and government-coordinated digital identity infrastructure. Both demonstrate successful approaches to EUDI Wallet implementation with strong citizen adoption.