Ace Security Desk – Government Digital Wallet: Your questions answered

• From: Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation 
• Published on: 3 April 2026 
• Last updated on: 23 June 2026

• Why we are introducing a Government Digital Wallet
• Who is responsible for implementing the regulations
• Why we are doing a testing phase
• The legal basis for this policy phase
• Who is responsible for developing the Government Digital Wallet
• MyGovID and the Government Digital Wallet
• Tracking of data
• How you will be able to use the Government Digital Wallet
• The sharing of any personal data
• How the Government Digital Wallet is kept secure
• Accessing public services without the Government Digital Wallet

Why we are introducing a Government Digital Wallet

New EU legislation requires every EU member state to introduce a secure digital identity wallet. Digital wallets are already in use in some other jurisdictions and can contain different forms of documents, like a driving licence.

The Government Digital Wallet must meet EU technical, security, interoperability and certification requirements and while its issuance is voluntary for citizens, it is mandatory for the State to provide.

Who is responsible for implementing the regulations

The Department of Culture, Communications and Sport has responsibility for implementing Regulation (EU) 910/2014 amended by (EU) 2024/1183 known collectively as eIDAS 2 that requires a European Digital Identity (EUDI) wallet. It should be available in each member state, so citizens can use it to authenticate themselves, store personal credentials, share verified information across borders and sign with legal validity.

Mandatory acceptance by public bodies is due to commence by the end of 2026 and by private service providers that conduct strong customer authentication (for example, banks and payment service providers) by the end of 2027.

Other private service providers may choose to support EUDI wallets for access to their services and sharing personal credentials.

Why we are doing a testing phase

The testing phase is critical to supporting the development of the Government Digital Wallet programme.

It will educate the public and other stakeholders on the value, safety and workings of the wallet. It will also give people an opportunity to contribute to the final design and the prioritisation of future credentials.

The testing phase will help stress-test the infrastructure and the support mechanisms for the Digital Wallet.

We want to ensure that people can contribute to developing a wallet that works for them.

The legal basis for this policy phase

Work is ongoing to transpose the eIDAS 2 legislation and establish the necessary governance and regulatory oversight for issuance of an EUDI Wallet in Ireland.

Launching a consultation and testing at this stage enables us to engage with the public to understand what they would like from the Government Digital Wallet. We can also collect feedback on how they would like to use it and test some of its functionality (on the legal basis of informed consent) to inform both the technical development and the legislative work.

This is a consultation and testing phase informing both the statutory and legislative development of the Government Digital Wallet in preparation for a national legislative basis to be established for issuance of the Government Digital Wallet live and at scale to the public.

Who is responsible for developing the Government Digital Wallet

Operational responsibility for the implementation of the Government Digital Wallet rests with the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) within the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, which is leading on its product development, technical delivery, and ongoing technical support.

The Digital Wallet is a core component of Ireland’s emerging digital public infrastructure as part of the Digital Public Service Plan 2030.

As a building block, it will facilitate the digitalisation of public services by providing people with a secure, convenient way to store and use verified digital credentials through a mobile application linked to their MyGovID account.

MyGovID and the Government Digital Wallet

The Department of Social Protection is the owner of the MyGovID identity scheme, which provides a safe and proven route to securely access the wallet in a way that will satisfy all relevant requirements under the eIDAS 2 regulation.

In line with the requirements under the EU eIDAS Regulation, the design of the Government Digital Wallet is explicitly privacy‑preserving and user‑centric in that individuals retain full control over what data is shared and with whom. Only the minimum data necessary for a transaction is disclosed supporting data minimisation and selective disclosure. Personal data is not tracked or recorded centrally by government, and is stored securely on the user’s device and data exchanges occur via secure, authenticated connections directly between the user and the relevant service provider.

The identity credential will ensure that users can verify their identity, allowing service providers to deliver more seamless, joined up public services according to the relevant eligibility and entitlement rules for these services. Verifying identity is already a core requirement of public service provision, and the wallet will enable this in a way that is convenient and secure, with all sharing of information via the wallet at the discretion of the user.

Tracking of data

The government will not track or record any data that is stored in the Digital Wallet. The user is the only person who can see their data, which is securely stored locally on their mobile phone.

How you will be able to use the Government Digital Wallet

When officially launched to the public, the wallet is expected to support a broad range of digital documents across sectors such as travel, education, health and banking amongst others. This will streamline how individuals access public services and facilitate greater integration of services across government.

The introduction of such functionality will depend on the inclusion of the necessary legal provisions in national legislation, particularly the upcoming eIDAS legislation, led by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport.

The sharing of any personal data

The Digital Wallet operates on the principles of privacy-by-design ensuring that you only need to share the data that is needed for delivery of a support or service.

How the Government Digital Wallet is kept secure

The Government Digital Wallet has been designed with multiple layers of security to protect you at every stage of using it.

Before any credential can be added to your wallet, you must first sign in with your MyGovID account. MyGovID requires an in-person identity check (SAFE 2 registration), which provides a high level of assurance that you are who you say you are. No credential can be issued without first passing this verified identity check.

Access to the app is protected by a personal PIN, with the option to enable Face ID, Touch ID or fingerprint recognition. The cryptographic keys that protect your credentials are held in your phone’s secure hardware and never leave the device – they cannot be extracted, even if the phone were compromised. The app locks after repeated failed PIN attempts and will not run on phones that have been jailbroken or rooted.

Each credential held in the wallet is cryptographically signed, in much the same way that the physical security features on a passport or driving licence protect those documents from tampering. If any information within a credential were altered, it would no longer be valid.

When you are asked to prove something, for example that you are over 18, the wallet is designed to share only the information needed for that specific check. In some cases, this may be a simple confirmation, such as a yes or no response, without revealing your full date of birth or other personal details. Depending on the service and the type of verification, a limited amount of additional information may be shared where appropriate. Your personal details remain protected, and you always see exactly what is being requested. You must actively give your consent before anything is shared. The party verifying the information does not retain a copy of your data once the check is complete.

The wallet operates within a certificate-based trust framework aligned with EU standards under eIDAS 2.0 and the European Digital Identity Architecture and Reference Framework – the same standards being adopted by other EU member states. All communications between the app and government services are encrypted, and the supporting infrastructure is hosted on a secure, government-suitable cloud platform.

Accessing public services without the Government Digital Wallet

The Government Digital Wallet is being developed in line with the EU eIDAS 2 Regulation, which requires the State to make a Digital Wallet available.

As per the regulation, “The use of European Digital Identity Wallets shall be voluntary. Access to public and private services, access to the labour market and freedom to conduct business shall not in any way be restricted or made disadvantageous to natural or legal persons that do not use European Digital Identity Wallets. It shall remain possible to access public and private services by other existing identification and authentication means.”

Responsibility for ensuring that this is adhered to as the use of the wallet in integrated with any given service will lie with the provider of that service in the first instance, with the measures needed to ensure no-one is disadvantaged by choosing not to use the digital wallet needing to be assessed on a case by case basis.

Consistent with wider Government policy on digital public services, Ireland operates a “digital first, not digital only” approach. This ensures that individuals who cannot or do not wish to engage digitally will continue to have access to services through alternative channels.

The Better Public Services Strategy commits to ensure inclusive, high quality and integrated public service provision that meets the needs and improves the lives of the people of Ireland.

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