Where were we left with IT Wallet, the hypothesis of the digital wallet that would have brought together SPID (Public Digital Identity System), CIE (electronic identity card) and other functions in a single tool?
At a stalemate: at the end of 2023, there was talk of IT Wallet but the numbers of SPID and CIE still showed two devices… competing for our digital identities, both with very high numbers. The first reached over 36 million Italian citizens, the second more than 39 million.
Now, however, the Council of Ministers expressed itself by approving a decree, and in the coming months there should be a definitive turning point in favor of a single IT Wallet.
The green light from the Council of Ministers for IT Wallet
The Council of Ministers on Monday 26 February touched on various topics. Between these, a decree on the upcoming adoption of IT-Wallet was approvedas we can read in the press release published on the Government website after the Council.
“Measures regarding digitalisation are expected, with amendments to the Digital Administration Code; in particular, the ‘Italian digital wallet system (IT-Wallet System)’ is established as a public digital wallet solution (so-called public IT-Wallet).
The Agency for Digital Italy adopts the guidelines governing technological standards and technical and organizational solutions; responsibility for implementation e the management of the organizational and technological infrastructure necessary for the implementation of the IT Wallet System is entrusted to the company PagoPA SpA and the State Printing and Mint Institute. The regulation (including the type of services that can be the subject of remuneration and private entities accredited as service providers, including the related cost indications) is delegated to one or more decrees of the President of the Council of Ministers or of the authority delegated policy on digital innovation, adopted in consultation with the Minister of Economy and Finance and with the Minister for Public Administration, after consulting the Guarantor for the protection of personal data.”
Cos’è IT Wallet
The digital wallet will contain the main digital documents, which (as we will see) will be usable via the IO app.
The functions of SPID and CIE will merge into IT Wallet. The documents that will be hosted are still being defined, but it can be assumed that the digital wallet will contain all the documents currently present in the electronic identity card, but also the driving license, the health card and the European disability card .
The double objective is to streamline public administration practices and services, and accelerate the digital transition in European Union member countries.
In this regard, it remains to be understood how IT Wallet will be transferred into the European Digital Identity Wallet, the digital identity common to all citizens of the continent, whose introduction is expected by 2026.
We also remind you that from August 3, 2026, the paper identity card will no longer be valid in our country.
IT Public and private wallet
There will be a private, paid IT Wallet and a public (free) one for citizens and businesses.
The latter will be an extension of the IO app, and among the documents that can be uploaded there will also be the European Disability Charter. It is expected that access will take place via both SPID and CIE, although all documents should be integrated directly into the new device at a later stage.
Since this is an extension of IO, you will access the digital wallet with the same credentials, via a two-factor authentication system.
Implementation times
Before the digital wallet can be fully operational, two implementing decrees are needed.
A first will contain guidelines on the technical characteristics and services available. The second implementing decree will specify the tasks of PagoPA and the State Printing and Mint Institute, which – as we read in the press release – is entrusted with the implementation of the digital wallet.
According to Il Sole 24 Ore, in the summer it will be possible to upload the first three documents in offline mode, namely the driving license, the health card and the European disability card. While the complete online use of IT Wallet should be dated between the end of 2024 and 2025.
