TravelTech Paris 2025 | The EU Digital Identity Wallet and it’s impact on Travel and Tourism

EU Digital Identity Wallet ecosystem for people, business, travel, payment and more
Speaker: Annet Steenbergen, Advisor at EU Digital Identity - EU Wallet Consortium (EWC)

How will the EU Digital Identity Wallet (EUDIW) redefine the way we travel, pay, and prove our identity across borders? In this presentation from TravelTech Paris 2025, Annet Steenbergen (Advisor at the EU Wallet Consortium) breaks down the ecosystem of the EUDIW and its real-world applications.

Key Takeaways:

• The EUDIW Framework: Understanding the technical and regulatory foundations of the EU Wallet.

• Travel Use Cases: How digital identities will streamline airport check-ins, hotel bookings, and border crossings.

• The EWC Pilot: Insights from the EU Wallet Consortium (EWC) on large-scale pilot projects.

• Beyond Travel: The role of the wallet in secure payments and business-to-business authentication.

About the Speaker: Annet Steenbergen is a leading Advisor at the EU Digital Identity - EU Wallet Consortium (EWC), specializing in the intersection of digital identity and travel facilitation.

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Conference Details:
Conference: Travel Tech API Conference: Travel Unlocked! | part of FOST 2025
Date: 11 December 2025 • CNIT Forest, Paris

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Transcript

1. APIDAYS TravelTech Paris Annet Steenbergen Independent advisor Digital Identity (Wallets) and Travel December 11, 2025 The EU Digital Identity Wallet and it’s impact on Travel and Tourism 1
2. On February 29, 2024 the EU Parliament adopted the Digital Identity Framework Regulation. eIDAS 2.0 is now a fact 2
3. eIDAS 2.0 : Electronic Identification, Authentication and Trust Services regulation 2.0 Ursula von der Leyen President of the European Commission 16 September, 2020: “secure European e-Identity…that any citizen can use anywhere in Europe…a technology where we can control ourselves what data and how data is used.” By December 2026, every EU member state must make a Digital Identity Wallet available to every citizen and resident who wants one. Goal: ensure that electronic interactions are safer, faster and more efficient, no matter the EU Member State country they take place in. Annet Steenbergen APIDAYS Paris 11-12-25 3
4. VC’s are de-centralized and private: Holders of data are in control of what data they share, and when, with verifiers, thanks to their digital wallets. They can also prove that the information they share belongs to them. Verifiable Credentials (VC) can represent information found in physical credentials, such as a passport or license, as well as new things that have no physical equivalent, such as ownership of a bank account. They have numerous advantages over physical credentials, most notably that they're digitally signed, which makes them tamper-resistant and instantaneously verifiable (Wikipedia) Digital identity wallet allows users to store and manage their verifiable credentials Annet Steenbergen APIDAYS Paris 11-12-25 4
5. Annet Steenbergen APIDAYS Paris 11-12-25 5 The EUDI Wallet: from centralized to de-centralized data ü Be in control of your data ü Selective disclosure: Only share the data an organization or business needs to perform a service ü Zero Knowledge Proof : > 18 , I am a member, proof of personhood
6. PID: Person Identification data PID Issuer The organization in each MS is responsible for identity data PID Annet Steenbergen APIDAYS Paris 11-12-25 6
7. Issuer Verifier (relying party) Trust Registries Verifiable Credentials in the EUDI Wallet Eco System write read HOLDER Annet Steenbergen APIDAYS Paris 11-12-25 7
8. Passport office Border authorities Travel Use Case examples Travel agency Issues Airline ticket Issues Hotel voucher Applies for an electronic travel authorisation Books a flight Airline Books a hotel room Issues a DTC Airline Hotel Annet Steenbergen APIDAYS Paris 11-12-25 8
9. Government Holder …….and beyond Issues Mobile Drivers Licence GP Issues a prescription University Issues BA diploma Makes purchase online Applies for a MA Pharmacy Receives prescribed medication University Annet Steenbergen APIDAYS Paris 11-12-25 9
10. ü Improving user experience ü Increasing efficiency ü Compliance with data privacy and data protection regulations ü A trusted and secure digital ID is needed for Web3 and AI ü Agentic AI authorisation of delegation ? Annet Steenbergen APIDAYS Paris 11-12-25 10
11. Large Scale Pilot co-funded by the EU Commission Annet Steenbergen APIDAYS Paris 11-12-25 11 The first round of LSP of 4 wrapped up summer 2025: Visit the European Commsion website for more info. The next round of LSP’s have started: APTITUDE will test EUDI Wallets across a wide range of use cases, including travel and mobile vehicle registration certificates. They will demonstrate the interoperability, usability, and scalability of EUDI Wallets while actively promoting the benefits of the ecosystem. WE BUILD Consortium is focusing on business and payment use cases that streamline processes for business to business (B2B), business to government (B2G) and business to consumer (B2C) interactions.
12. EWC Travel and Tourism pilots using the EUDI Wallet Ø Book, pay and receive a Greek ferry ticket and claim student discount as part of the cross-border payment proces. Ø Proving you are under 18 or over 65 to get discount for Buda Castle museum in Budapest Ø Improving and automating the airline check in process by using your EUDI wallet àPhotoID Credential (includes DTC) Ø Travel to Benidorm and comply with Spanish regulations on hotel check-in registration à PhotoID Credential (includes DTC) Annet Steenbergen APIDAYS Paris 11-12-25 12
14. ICAO Digital Travel Credential DTC Type 1 Self Derived DTC Type 2 Authority Derived DTC Type 3 Authority Issued The DTC can be authenticated by state controled PKD The DTC contains identity information, no eVisa etc yet Global Standard Ø Use case Border Control Authorities Ø Selective disclosure only per data group Ø Lack of legislation for dtc’s Ø Solutions for private use cases are on the horizon….
15. Annet Steenbergen APIDAYS Paris 11-12-25 15 “To achieve more Seamless & Contactless Passenger Journeys IATA aims to establish an ecosystem that is interoperable with various industry parties, airlines, airports, and governments, across the world through a safe digital environment.” ”IATA’s One ID initiative aims to streamline passenger journey with advance sharing of information and a contactless process at the airport based on biometric-enabled identification.” https://www.iata.org/en/programs/passenger/one-id/
16. Annet Steenbergen APIDAYS Paris 11-12-25 16 To speed up border controls and ensure smoother and more secure travel, the Commission has proposed to digitalise passports and identity cards for anyone entering or leaving the Schengen area by 2030.
17. The EUDIW and Payment Payment authentication Payment initiation SCA: verified identity attributes with High Level of Assurance Opening a bank account cross-border Adding attributes like age verification to payment Proof of income Verified account number for business users …… ……. Annet Steenbergen APIDAYS Paris 11-12-25 17
18. November 19, 2025 the European Commission announces the proposal regulation for the EU Business Wallets Annet Steenbergen APIDAYS Paris 11-12-25 18
19. “ What do the Business Wallets offer? The European Business Wallets are one of the key deliverables of the Digital Package. The Commission proposes a regulation to establish those Wallets as a harmonised digital solution to ease the administrative burden and to enable companies and public sector bodies to identify, to authenticate and to exchange data in a secure and user-friendly way, with full legal effect across the European Union. Designed to be accessible for businesses of all sizes, including SMEs and microenterprises, as well as public administrations, this initiative will modernise and simplify economic activities within the Single Market. Therefore, businesses opting for the Wallet will be able to digitally: •Check the identity of others immediately and prove their own •Instantly create, store and share documents they can trust, such as verified licences, permits, certificates and more. •Digitally sign, timestamp or seal documents •Delegate others to act on their behalf in a legal capacity •Communicate with other businesses or public administrations via a secure and efficient channel. “ •*https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/business-wallets Annet Steenbergen APIDAYS Paris 11-12-25 19
20. EUDI Wallet Impact Customer facing: • VLOP’s obligated to be compliant to eIDAS 2.0 • Identity verification at Log in and Checkout, KYC Reduces friction, speeds up conversion, GDPR compliant and lowers abandonment rates—especially for high-value bookings (flights, luxury hotels). • Age-restricted services Eliminates the need for separate “age-check” forms and reduces fraud. • Travel-document checks • Personalised loyalty & offers With explicit user consent, the wallet can share verified attributes (nationality, frequent-flyer status) that enable hyper-targeted promotions à GDPR compliant • Self-service profile management Users could update their verified personal data centrally in the wallet, and OTAs would receive the updated values via API without asking the traveler to edit multiple accounts Annet Steenbergen APIDAYS Paris 11-12-25 20
21. Annet Steenbergen APIDAYS Paris 11-12-25 21 Thank you ! Questions ? annet.steenbergen@circletree.eu