Romania by the end of the year: digital wallet becomes mandatory, but adoption does not come alone

How many passwords do you have saved on the phone you are reading this article with? For a user tracked by the Edge Institute in a recent analysis, the answer is 314. Three hundred and fourteen accounts on different platforms — public institutions, banks, online shops, social networks — each with a combination of personal data that individually seem benign, but together build a digital footprint that no one really controls.

This is the reality that the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDIW) is directly targeting. According to the eIDAS 2.0 regulation, adopted in 2024, each Member State of the European Union must by the end of 2026 provide citizens with at least one digital wallet through which they can identify and authenticate themselves for both public and private services. The term is no longer an ambition – it is a legal obligation.

Where Romania stands

On paper, Romania has the infrastructure. The Romanian state provides two electronic identity solutions for access to public services: ROeID (operational since 2023) and Electronic Identity Card (EIC), launched in 2025. In practice, the European Commission's figures place Romania last in the EU in terms of eID usage. The solutions exist, but adoption — the metric that truly reflects digital transformation — does not happen automatically.

The difference between ‘giving’ and ‘being used’ is essential in this area. According to the Edge Institute analysis, electronic identity only works to the extent that the citizen sees an immediate and clear benefit: a shorter procedure, a trip to the counter avoided, a bank account opened in 5 minutes. As long as most services — public and private — can also be accessed without eID, the adoption margin remains small.

The French model: core identity

One of the options that Edge Institute explores in detail is the replica of the French model of the digital wallet. Built around the concept of a ‘core identity’, the French model uses the eID card as the core of the digital wallet. Other ‘digital cards’ – driving licence, health card, professional qualifications – are attached around this core.

Specifically, the French model opens up three modes of use:

• Online, through integration with FranceConnect and FranceConnect+ — single authentication for all public and a significant part of private services (especially in health);
• Face-to-face, by QR code — identity can be presented even without internet connection, useful for on-train control or for checks by authorities;
• ‘Disposable’ proof — a PDF file generated on request, specifically designed to replace copies of identity documents required by banks or companies still operating on paper processes.

For Romania, replicating the French model would mean building the digital wallet around the EIC — a move that makes strategic sense, given that its rollout is already accelerating nationwide.

What else is missing

The Edge Institute identifies four categories of critical factors for eID adoption in Romania, summarised in a working paper published in March:

1. Perceived utility — extending the number of services requiring or allowing authentication via eID. If the bank asks you to sign in via ROeID for a new account, the adoption increases instantly.
2. Ease of use — interfaces and procedures that do not require technical knowledge. The mobile wallet model, which uses local biometrics on the device, is the minimum standard now.
3. Trust in the system — clear public communication about the security model. Users do not adopt tools about which they do not understand how they are protected.
4. Support infrastructure — sufficient issuance capacity for EICs and ROeID credentials to support large-scale adoption within a reasonable timeframe.

The broader perspective

To calibrate the size of the challenge, the European context provides the benchmark: countries such as Estonia have exceeded the 90% eID adoption threshold after nearly two decades of continuous investment. Romania does not have the luxury of two decades – the European term under eIDAS 2.0 for offering a digital wallet is the end of 2026. Closing the adoption gap will require concrete measures: public campaigns, integrations with banking and utilities, simplification of the EIC process.

For the PDS ecosystem, the relevant question is no longer ‘whether’ Romania will have a digital wallet, but ‘how citizens will be persuaded to use it’. According to the Edge Institute, the answer lies less in technology itself and more in institutional design, effective communication, and a meaningful range of services that make adoption worthwhile.

More information:

• Newsletter Edge Institute — ‘Electronic identity for all Romanians’: newsletter.edgeinstitute.ro
• ROeID eID: roeid.ro
• eIDAS 2.0 Regulation — Regulation (EU) 2024/1183: EUR-Lex
• EU Digital Identity Wallet (European Commission): digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu
• French model FranceConnect: franceconnect.gouv.fr