🇵🇹EUDI Wallet Portugal: What We Know So Far

What We Know About Portugal's EUDI Wallet

Portugal, with a population of 10 million, is preparing to implement the European Digital Identity Wallet as required by the eIDAS 2.0 regulation. While specific details about Portugal's EUDI Wallet implementation have not been officially announced, several facts are clear based on EU law and Portugal'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. Portugal must comply with this deadline.

Existing Authentication System (🟢 Verified)

Portugal currently operates Chave Móvel Digital (Digital Mobile Key), a national digital authentication system that enables citizens to access government services electronically. Chave Móvel Digital provides secure login for tax filing, social security, health services, and hundreds of other public services. The EUDI Wallet will likely build upon or integrate with this existing Chave Móvel Digital infrastructure, using years of established digital identity experience.

Regulatory Deadline (🟡 Confirmed by Regulation)

The December 31, 2026 deadline is set by EU law. Portugal 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.

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 Portuguese authorities:

Official Wallet Name (⚠️ Not Yet Announced)

Portugal has not announced the official name for its EUDI Wallet. While "Carteira Digital de Identidade" is a logical translation, this is speculation, not official confirmation. The wallet may integrate directly into the existing Chave Móvel Digital system or be branded separately.

Exact Launch Date (⚠️ Not Yet Announced)

Beyond the December 2026 regulatory deadline, Portugal 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—Portugal's approach remains unclear.

Setup Process (⚠️ Not Yet Announced)

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

Expected Functionality Based on EU Standards

Even without Portugal-specific announcements, we know what functionality Portugal'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: Portuguese 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 Portuguese Citizens Do Now?

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

1. Ensure you have a valid Portuguese ID card or passport — these will likely be required to activate the digital wallet
2. Familiarize yourself with Chave Móvel Digital — Portugal's existing digital authentication system may be integrated with the EUDI Wallet
3. Monitor official sources — Check autenticacao.gov.pt for government announcements
4. Don't worry about missing the deadline — The wallet is optional; you can continue using physical documents

Chave Móvel Digital: Portugal's Head Start in Mobile Identity

Portugal's Chave Móvel Digital (CMD, or Digital Mobile Key) is one of Europe's most successful mobile authentication systems, with over 7 million registered users—roughly 70% of Portugal's adult population. Launched by AMA (Agência para a Modernização Administrativa), CMD allows citizens to authenticate their identity and create legally binding qualified electronic signatures using just their mobile phone number and a PIN code, with a one-time SMS verification code.

CMD goes beyond simple login. It is integrated into hundreds of public and private services: filing taxes through Portal das Finanças, accessing health records through SNS 24, signing contracts for telecommunications and utilities, authenticating with banks, and even signing corporate documents for business registration. The system supports biometric authentication (fingerprint and face recognition) through the Autenticação.gov.pt mobile app, which provides an even faster experience than SMS codes. This widespread adoption means Portuguese citizens already have the behavioural foundation for the EUDI Wallet—they are accustomed to using their phone as a digital identity tool.

AMA and Portugal's Administrative Modernization Ecosystem

AMA (Agência para a Modernização Administrativa) is the Portuguese government agency that has driven one of the most ambitious digital government transformations in Southern Europe. AMA does not just manage identity—it coordinates the entire digital public service stack, including the interoperability platform (iAP) that connects government databases, the Espaços Cidadão (Citizen Spots) network of over 1,000 assisted digital service points across the country, and the Simplex programme that continuously simplifies bureaucratic processes.

AMA's role in the EUDI Wallet will be critical. The agency has experience building high-assurance identity systems (the Cartão de Cidadão and CMD both meet eIDAS "high" level of assurance), managing large-scale citizen onboarding, and ensuring interoperability between disparate systems. Portugal was also one of the first countries to notify its national eID scheme under the original eIDAS regulation in 2018, demonstrating institutional commitment to European digital identity standards.

Cartão de Cidadão: The Smart Card Foundation

The Cartão de Cidadão (Citizen Card), introduced in 2007, is Portugal's national identity document and one of the most feature-rich ID cards in Europe. It is a single card that consolidates five previously separate identification numbers: the civil identification number (NIC), tax identification number (NIF), social security number (NISS), healthcare user number (SNS), and voter registration number. The card contains an embedded chip with cryptographic certificates for authentication and qualified electronic signatures.

With a compatible card reader, citizens can use the Cartão de Cidadão to authenticate online, sign documents with legal validity, and access services through the Autenticação.gov.pt portal. The card's PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) certificates are issued by the Multicert certification authority under Portuguese law. This existing smart card infrastructure means Portugal already has a national system for issuing, managing, and revoking cryptographic credentials—operational capabilities that map directly onto the EUDI Wallet's technical requirements for credential lifecycle management.

Portal Autenticação.gov.pt: The Digital Gateway

Autenticação.gov.pt is Portugal's central authentication portal, serving as the single point of entry for digital identity verification across government services. The portal supports multiple authentication methods: Cartão de Cidadão with card reader, Chave Móvel Digital via SMS or app, and professional certificates for regulated sectors. It also provides a document signing service that allows citizens to upload and digitally sign PDF documents with qualified signatures, free of charge.

The portal's architecture follows a federated identity model, where the authentication service acts as an identity broker between the citizen and the relying party (government service, bank, or other entity). This architecture is conceptually similar to how the EUDI Wallet will operate—the wallet acts as the citizen's identity agent, presenting verified credentials to requesting parties without exposing unnecessary personal data. Portugal's operational experience with this federated model through Autenticação.gov.pt provides a strong technical and organizational foundation for EUDI Wallet deployment.

Portugal's Large Diaspora and Cross-Border Benefits

Portugal has one of the largest diaspora communities in Europe relative to its population, with an estimated 2.5 million Portuguese citizens living abroad—primarily in France, Switzerland, Luxembourg, the UK, and Germany. For these expatriates, the EUDI Wallet offers transformative potential. Currently, Portuguese citizens abroad often face bureaucratic challenges when interacting with Portuguese authorities remotely: renewing documents, accessing social security records, filing taxes, or proving their identity to foreign institutions.

The EUDI Wallet's cross-border recognition means a Portuguese citizen living in France could use their Portuguese-issued digital credentials to open a bank account, register at a university, or access healthcare services in France—without needing to have documents translated, apostilled, or physically mailed. For Portugal specifically, the wallet could also help streamline consular services, reducing the administrative burden on the extensive network of Portuguese consulates worldwide.

Reassurance: All EU Countries Must Comply

If you're concerned about whether Portugal will deliver an EUDI Wallet, remember this: the December 2026 deadline applies equally to all 27 EU member states. Portugal is legally obligated to provide a wallet, just like every other country. Moreover, Portugal's existing digital identity infrastructure—CMD with 7 million users, the Cartão de Cidadão smart card system, and the Autenticação.gov.pt portal—demonstrates that Portugal has both the technical capability and institutional experience to deliver a strong EUDI Wallet implementation.