🇸🇪EUDI Wallet Sweden: What We Know So Far

What We Know About Sweden's EUDI Wallet

Sweden, 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 Sweden's EUDI Wallet implementation have not been officially announced, several facts are clear based on EU law and Sweden'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. Sweden must comply with this deadline.

Existing Authentication System (🟢 Verified)

Sweden has BankID, one of the most successful digital authentication systems in Europe, used by over 90% of the Swedish population. BankID enables citizens to access banking, government services, healthcare, and private sector services. The EUDI Wallet will likely build upon or integrate with this existing BankID infrastructure, using years of widespread adoption and trust. DIGG (Swedish Agency for Digital Government) oversees digital identity standards.

Regulatory Deadline (🟡 Confirmed by Regulation)

The December 31, 2026 deadline is set by EU law. Sweden 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 Swedish authorities:

Official Wallet Name (⚠️ Not Yet Announced)

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

Exact Launch Date (⚠️ Not Yet Announced)

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

Setup Process (⚠️ Not Yet Announced)

The activation process—how Swedish citizens will set up their digital wallet—has not been disclosed. It will likely require existing BankID credentials or government-issued ID documents, but the specific steps are unknown.

Expected Functionality Based on EU Standards

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

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

1. Ensure you have a valid Swedish ID card or passport — these will likely be required to activate the digital wallet
2. Continue using BankID — Sweden's existing digital authentication system will likely integrate with the EUDI Wallet
3. Monitor official sources — Check digg.se for government announcements
4. Don't worry about missing the deadline — The wallet is optional; you can continue using physical documents

BankID: The System That Made Sweden a Digital Identity Pioneer

To understand Sweden's EUDI Wallet trajectory, you need to understand BankID. Launched in 2003, BankID has grown to become one of the most successful digital identity systems in the world, with over 8.5 million active users in a country of 10.5 million. That is an adoption rate exceeding 80% of the total population — and over 99% of the adult population aged 21-50.

BankID is used for virtually everything in Sweden: logging into your bank, signing your tax return, picking up prescriptions at the pharmacy, signing rental agreements, verifying your identity at the post office, and even authenticating with private companies. The system is operated by Finansiell ID-Teknik BID AB, a company owned by a consortium of Swedish banks including SEB, Swedbank, Nordea, and Handelsbanken. This private-sector ownership model is unusual in Europe and raises questions about the transition to a government-backed EUDI Wallet.

Mobile BankID, the app-based version launched in 2010, was the breakthrough that achieved mass adoption. Before Mobile BankID, users needed a physical smart card and card reader. The app eliminated this friction and became ubiquitous. Today, Swedes "BankID" things the way Americans "Google" things — the brand has become a verb. This level of entrenchment means the EUDI Wallet faces a unique challenge in Sweden: not convincing people to adopt digital identity (they already have), but demonstrating why a new system adds value alongside one that already works extremely well.

DIGG: Leading Sweden's EUDI Wallet Development

DIGG (Myndigheten för digital förvaltning, the Agency for Digital Government) is the Swedish authority responsible for coordinating the country's EUDI Wallet implementation. Established in 2018, DIGG's mandate covers digital government development, including managing the Swedish eID framework, overseeing approved eID providers (BankID and Freja eID), and ensuring Swedish public sector digital services meet accessibility and interoperability standards.

DIGG maintains Sweden's eID quality mark ("Godkänd e-legitimation") and approves electronic identification providers at different assurance levels. For the EUDI Wallet, DIGG is responsible for defining how the wallet integrates with Sweden's existing eID ecosystem, coordinating with the European Commission on technical specifications, and ensuring the wallet meets both EU requirements and Swedish national needs. DIGG also manages Sweden's participation in EU interoperability frameworks and cross-border pilot programs.

The Privacy Debate: Centralized vs. Decentralized Identity in Sweden

Sweden has a particularly active debate about digital identity privacy, driven by the country's strong tradition of personal data protection and civil liberties. The core tension is between the convenience of centralized identity systems and the privacy advantages of decentralized approaches.

BankID, despite its success, has drawn criticism from privacy advocates. Because it is privately operated by banks, every authentication transaction passes through BankID's central infrastructure, creating a detailed log of when and where citizens authenticate. Privacy researchers at Swedish universities have pointed out that this could theoretically allow profiling of citizen behavior. The Swedish Data Protection Authority (Integritetsskyddsmyndigheten, IMY) has been vocal about ensuring that the EUDI Wallet avoids these centralization risks.

The eIDAS 2.0 regulation addresses some of these concerns by mandating that wallet providers cannot track user activity, that selective disclosure must be supported (sharing only the minimum data needed), and that the wallet must work offline for certain transactions. However, the practical implementation of these privacy guarantees depends on Sweden's specific technical choices. Swedish civil society organizations, including Internetstiftelsen (the Swedish Internet Foundation), have advocated for transparency about how the wallet stores and shares data, and for independent auditing of the wallet provider's privacy practices.

Sweden's E-Identification Board and Regulatory environment

Sweden's approach to electronic identification is governed by several interlocking regulations. The Swedish eID framework, managed by DIGG, defines assurance levels for electronic identification: "basic," "substantial," and "high." Both BankID and Freja eID are approved at the "substantial" level, while Freja eID+ also holds "high" level approval. The EUDI Wallet must meet the "high" assurance level under eIDAS 2.0.

The E-identification Board (E-legitimationsnämnden), DIGG's predecessor for eID matters before being absorbed into DIGG in 2018, established the framework that still governs Sweden's eID environment. This framework defines technical requirements for identity providers, security standards for authentication transactions, and liability rules when authentication failures occur. Under eIDAS 2.0, Sweden will need to update this framework to accommodate the EUDI Wallet as a new type of identification means — one issued by the government rather than private banks.

The Personnummer Question: Identity Fraud and Selective Disclosure

Sweden's personnummer (personal identity number, formatted YYMMDD-XXXX) is central to Swedish society in a way that surprises visitors from other countries. It is used not just for government interactions but also for gym memberships, library cards, grocery store loyalty programs, and even identifying yourself when picking up a pizza order. This ubiquity creates a well-documented identity fraud problem: if someone obtains your personnummer, they can potentially open accounts and access services in your name.

The EUDI Wallet offers a potential solution through selective disclosure. Instead of sharing your full personnummer to prove your identity, the wallet could allow you to prove specific attributes (such as "over 18," "resident of Stockholm," or "Swedish citizen") without revealing the number itself. This granular approach to identity verification is technically mandated by eIDAS 2.0 and would represent a significant privacy improvement over Sweden's current all-or-nothing personnummer system. Whether Sweden's implementation will take full advantage of this capability remains to be seen.

Reassurance: Sweden's Digital Maturity Is an Asset, Not an Obstacle

If you're concerned about whether Sweden will deliver an EUDI Wallet, remember that Sweden's situation is unusual: the country's challenge is not building digital identity infrastructure from scratch but integrating a new EU-standardized system alongside one of Europe's most successful existing solutions. The December 2026 deadline applies equally to all 27 EU member states, and Sweden's deep experience with BankID — including 20 years of managing digital identity at scale — provides institutional knowledge that most countries lack. DIGG is actively coordinating the implementation, and Sweden's high digital literacy means citizen adoption should face minimal friction once the wallet is available.