eIDAS 2.0 and Age Verification in Europe

The EU's updated eIDAS regulation — eIDAS 2.0 — introduces a framework for European Digital Identity Wallets (EUDI Wallets). Member states are required to offer EUDI Wallets to their citizens by 2026, and the regulation creates new possibilities for privacy-preserving identity verification, including age verification.

What is a EUDI Wallet?

A EUDI Wallet is a mobile application that allows EU citizens to store and share verified identity attributes — including age — without revealing unnecessary personal information. The key innovation is selective disclosure: a user can prove they are over 18 without revealing their date of birth, name, or any other personal data.

What does this mean for age verification?

For platforms operating in the EU, EUDI Wallets could become a powerful tool for age verification. A user could prove their age with a single tap, using a credential issued by their national identity authority, without sharing any personal data with the platform.

This is exactly the kind of privacy-preserving age verification we are designing AgeCheck API to support. Our architecture is designed to be compatible with emerging digital identity standards, including EUDI Wallets.

Timeline

Member states are required to make EUDI Wallets available to citizens by 2026. Adoption will be gradual, and platforms should not rely on EUDI Wallets as their sole age verification method in the near term. But it is worth designing your age verification integration with this future in mind.