IT-Wallet: three digital documents available for all Italian citizens and residents
The Italian digital wallet allows the addition of digital versions of the Driving License, Health Insurance Card, and Disability Card to the IO app
From 4th December 2024, all Italian citizens and residents in Italy can access the first release of the Italian Digital Wallet System (IT-Wallet System) and add digital versions of their documents to the IO app, the national digital services app. With the new "Documenti su IO" feature, it is possible to store the digital Driving License, Health Insurance Card and Disability Card directly in the app's "Wallet" section. The IT-Wallet system represents the Italian path to advancing compliance with the planned EUDI Wallet.
“The rollout of the first phase of the IT-Wallet System marks the beginning of a true digital transformation in our country. By offering the option to obtain the documents in digital format — such as the Driving License, the Health Insurance Card and the Disability Card — citizens can voluntarily experience firsthand an innovation designed to simplify interactions between individuals, businesses, and the Italian State. This milestone also paves the way for the evolution of both public and private services. After two years of intensive collaboration among some of Italy's most prominent institutions, we are transitioning from an experimental phase to a concrete innovation, now accessible to those who choose to give their consent. Importantly, individuals can still opt to continue using their physical documents as they always have,” stated the Undersecretary of State for Technological Innovation Alessio Butti.
The first week following the release of the IT-Wallet for all citizens on the IO app marked a significant achievement in the digital transformation journey of Italy: over 2,390,000 digital wallets were activated, demonstrating a widespread adoption of the available digital documents. Specifically, 1,756,000 digital driving licenses, 2,040,000 health insurance cards, and 35,000 disability cards have already been added by citizens to the "Wallet" section of the IO app.
Currently, once added on the IO app, the digital documents can replace their physical equivalents in specific use cases in Italy:
the Driving License can be shown in police controls in Italy as a valid permit to drive;
the Health Insurance Card enables access to the services offered by the Italian National Health Service;
the Disability Card enables the same services as the physical document in Italy.
**
How to activate “Documenti su IO”
Activating and storing documents on the IO app is a free and optional service, available to all Italian citizens and residents aged 18 or older with valid documents. To get the digital documents, users can update or install the app and log in using digital identity credentials, such as the Electronic Identity Card (CIE) or the Public Digital Identity System (SPID). Data is provided by the same authorities responsible for issuing the corresponding physical version, ensuring authenticity and security.
As with physical documents, data remains under the exclusive control of the individual and the issuing Public Administration. The process is fully compliant with current personal data protection regulations. Each document is added and stored in the wallet section of the IO app exclusively upon the explicit request of the user. Citizens may also choose to continue using only their physical documents.
A step towards the IT-Wallet System
“Documenti su IO” introduces some of the features of the future IT-Wallet, which is planned to launch in 2025. Its implementation results from the collaboration between the Department for Digital Transformation of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, as owner institution, and several stakeholders. They include PagoPA S.p.A., IO app owner and public IT-Wallet provider, the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato (IPZS - the Italian State Printing Works and Mint), responsible for digitally issuing documents, as well as the organizations responsible for providing the necessary data: the Ministry of Sustainable Infrastructures and Mobility (Directorate General for Motor Vehicles) and the Ministry of Economy and Finance (State General Accounting Department) and the National Institute of Social Security (INPS). Additionally, more than fifteen other public administrations contributed in various ways to the project’s final implementation.
The EU Digital Identity Wallet
The Italian Digital Wallet System aims to play a key role in building an interconnected and interoperable European digital ecosystem. As per the EU Digital Identity (EUDI) Regulation, each Member State will be required to qualify at least one of its national wallets as “EU Digital Identity Wallet” and make them available to its citizens and residents by December 2026. EUDI Wallets will enable users to authenticate themselves to public and private online services all over Europe. They will also enable users to store, present and share digital documents - from university diplomas to train tickets - as well as electronically sign or seal documents and signing into private platforms.
The European Digital Identity Framework intends to establish a secure and user-friendly system that simplifies the exchange of information both within and across EU member states.