🇲🇹EUDI Wallet Malta: What We Know So Far

What We Know About Malta's EUDI Wallet

Malta, with a population of 1 million, is preparing to implement the European Digital Identity Wallet as required by the eIDAS 2.0 regulation. While specific details about Malta's EUDI Wallet implementation have not been officially announced, several facts are clear based on EU law and Malta's existing digital infrastructure.

Legal Requirement (🟢 Verified)

Under the eIDAS 2.0 regulation (EU) 2024/1183, which entered into force in May 2024, all 27 EU member states must provide a European Digital Identity Wallet to their citizens by December 31, 2026. This is a binding legal requirement, not optional. Malta must comply with this deadline.

Existing Authentication System (🟢 Verified)

Malta currently operates eID Malta, a national digital authentication system that enables citizens to access government services electronically. eID Malta provides secure login for tax filing, social security, healthcare, and other public services. The EUDI Wallet will likely build upon or integrate with this existing eID Malta infrastructure, using years of established digital identity experience.

Regulatory Deadline (🟡 Confirmed by Regulation)

The December 31, 2026 deadline is set by EU law. Malta must provide a wallet that meets the technical specifications defined in the Architecture and Reference Framework (ARF) version 2.7.3, which standardizes functionality across all EU member states.

Malta's Digital Identity Infrastructure

Despite being the EU's smallest member state by population, Malta has developed a digital identity framework that punches above its weight, driven in part by the island's outsized role in financial services, iGaming, and technology. Understanding Malta's existing identity systems provides context for how the EUDI Wallet will fit into the country's digital ecosystem.

eID Malta and Identity Malta Agency

The eID Malta scheme is managed by Identity Malta, the government agency responsible for all identity-related services including passport issuance, residence permits, citizenship applications, and the electronic identity card. The eID Malta card is a polycarbonate card with an embedded contact chip that stores the holder's personal data and cryptographic keys. Citizens can use the card with a card reader for electronic authentication when accessing government services online.

Identity Malta also operates the National Identity Management System (NIMS), a centralized database that serves as the authoritative source for personal identity data in Malta. When the EUDI Wallet needs to issue verifiable credentials containing personal attributes (name, date of birth, nationality, address), these attributes will be sourced from NIMS. The accuracy and completeness of NIMS data is therefore critical to the trustworthiness of Malta's EUDI Wallet credentials. Any discrepancies in the national register could create problems during wallet activation or credential issuance.

MITA: Malta's Government Technology Agency

The Malta Information Technology Agency (MITA) is the central IT agency for the Maltese government, responsible for developing, deploying, and maintaining technology solutions across all ministries and public entities. MITA manages the infrastructure behind ServizzGov, the government's digital service hub, as well as the authentication systems that connect citizens to public services. With a staff of several hundred IT professionals, MITA represents Malta's primary capacity for building and deploying government digital solutions.

For the EUDI Wallet, MITA's role will likely encompass multiple dimensions: advising on technical architecture, potentially developing or customizing the wallet application, integrating the wallet with existing government service platforms, and ensuring the infrastructure meets the security and availability requirements of the eIDAS 2.0 regulation. MITA's existing experience managing Malta's smart card infrastructure and authentication services provides a technical foundation, though the wallet introduces new challenges around mobile app development, biometric verification, and credential management that differ from traditional smart card systems.

iGaming and Fintech: Malta's KYC-Intensive Industries

Malta hosts one of the world's largest concentrations of online gaming companies, with the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) licensing hundreds of operators that serve millions of players across Europe. The iGaming sector is a significant contributor to Malta's economy, employing thousands of people and generating substantial tax revenue. Every one of these gaming operators must perform rigorous Know Your Customer (KYC) checks to verify player identity, age, and jurisdiction — requirements imposed by both the MGA and anti-money laundering regulations.

Currently, online KYC in the iGaming sector typically involves players uploading photographs of their passport or ID card, sometimes accompanied by a selfie for facial matching. This process is slow (manual review can take hours or days), expensive (operators employ verification teams or pay third-party providers), and creates data security liabilities (storing copies of identity documents). The EUDI Wallet offers a fundamentally different approach: cryptographically verified identity attributes presented directly from the user's wallet, with no document images to store or manually review. For a player registering on a Malta-licensed gaming site, the EUDI Wallet could reduce onboarding time from hours to seconds while improving both security and regulatory compliance.

Malta's fintech sector faces similar KYC challenges. The island hosts numerous payment service providers, electronic money institutions, and — following the 2018 Virtual Financial Assets Act — cryptocurrency exchanges and DLT service providers. All these entities must verify customer identities under EU anti-money laundering directives. The EUDI Wallet's standardized identity verification across all EU member states is particularly valuable for Malta-based fintechs that serve a pan-European customer base, as it eliminates the need to handle and validate identity documents from 27 different national systems.

Malta Digital Identity Services

Within the broader Identity Malta agency, the Malta Digital Identity Services function is responsible for the policies and operations governing electronic identity. This includes defining the assurance levels for different identity verification processes, managing the lifecycle of digital credentials (issuance, renewal, revocation), and ensuring compliance with EU regulations including the original eIDAS regulation and now eIDAS 2.0.

Malta pre-notified its eID scheme under the original eIDAS regulation, establishing the legal and technical framework for cross-border recognition of Maltese electronic identities. This pre-notification experience provides institutional knowledge about the EU's identity interoperability requirements that will directly apply to the EUDI Wallet. The team responsible for managing Malta's eIDAS notification will likely play a central role in ensuring the EUDI Wallet meets the new regulation's more extensive requirements for credential issuance, wallet certification, and trust framework participation.

ServizzGov: Malta's Government Service Platform

ServizzGov (servizz.gov.mt) serves as Malta's one-stop shop for government services, offering both digital and physical service delivery. The platform consolidates access to services from across government ministries and entities, covering areas such as social security applications, tax matters, business licensing, healthcare services, and civil documentation. ServizzGov was designed to simplify the citizen experience by replacing the need to visit multiple separate government offices.

The digital component of ServizzGov currently relies on eID Malta for user authentication. As Malta prepares for the EUDI Wallet, ServizzGov represents the highest-priority integration target: connecting the wallet to ServizzGov would immediately provide wallet-based access to the broadest range of government services. Given Malta's compact size and relatively centralized government IT structure under MITA, the integration path from EUDI Wallet to ServizzGov could be more straightforward than in larger countries where government digital services are managed by many independent agencies with different technology stacks.

What Is Not Yet Known

We believe in being honest about what information is not yet available. The following details have not been officially announced by Malta authorities:

Official Wallet Name (⚠️ Not Yet Announced)

Malta has not announced the official name for its EUDI Wallet. While "eID Malta Wallet" is a logical name, this is speculation, not official confirmation. The wallet may integrate directly into the existing eID Malta system or be branded separately.

Exact Launch Date (⚠️ Not Yet Announced)

Beyond the December 2026 regulatory deadline, Malta has not provided a specific launch date, pilot schedule, or rollout timeline. Some countries announce phased launches (pilot first, then gradual rollout), while others plan immediate availability—Malta's approach remains unclear.

Setup Process (⚠️ Not Yet Announced)

The activation process—how Malta citizens will set up their digital wallet—has not been disclosed. It will likely require existing government-issued credentials (ID card, passport, or eID Malta account), but the specific steps are unknown.

Expected Functionality Based on EU Standards

Even without Malta-specific announcements, we know what functionality Malta's EUDI Wallet must provide, because all EU member states must comply with the same technical specifications (ARF 2.7.3):

Core Features (🟢 Verified from ARF Specifications)

• Identity Verification: Store and present digital identity for government services, banking, and age verification
• Banking KYC: From January 1, 2027, all banks and financial institutions must accept EUDI Wallet for customer identification (mandatory)
• Government Services: Access tax filing, healthcare, social security, business permits, and other public services
• Age Verification: Prove age for restricted purchases without revealing full birth date
• Cross-Border Recognition: Malta digital credentials recognized in all 27 EU member states
• Qualified Signatures: Sign legally binding documents digitally with the same legal force as handwritten signatures

What Should Malta Citizens Do Now?

While waiting for official announcements, Malta citizens can take the following steps:

1. Ensure you have a valid Malta ID card or passport — these will likely be required to activate the digital wallet
2. Check your eID Malta card status — if your electronic identity card is expired or you never activated the chip function, visit Identity Malta to update your status before the wallet launch
3. Register on ServizzGov — familiarizing yourself with Malta's digital government platform now will make the transition to EUDI Wallet-based access smoother
4. Monitor official sources — Check www.gov.mt for government announcements
5. Don't worry about missing the deadline — The wallet is optional; you can continue using physical documents

Reassurance: All EU Countries Must Comply

If you're concerned about whether Malta will deliver an EUDI Wallet, remember this: the December 2026 deadline applies equally to all 27 EU member states. Malta is legally obligated to provide a wallet, just like every other country. The lack of public announcements does not indicate Malta won't comply—many countries are developing wallets without extensive public communication until closer to launch.