mObywatel Europa from December. Instead of the second application, a new tab

As explained by the Ministry of Digital Affairs at today’s press conference, the draft law regulating the integration of the mObywatel application with the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI Wallet) has already been submitted for public consultations. The pilot launch of mObywatel with the European module, tentatively referred to as mObywatel Europa, is planned for December this year. The solutions will be fully integrated within two years at the latest.

The Ministry of Digital Affairs denied rumors about the closure of the mObywatel application, emphasizing that it will be developed and enriched with a European version. Recently, there have also been rumors that there will be two completely separate digital wallets – European and Polish mObywatel. These reports are the result of not very coherent government communication. However, as emphasized by the Minister of Digitization, Krzysztof Gawkowski, the goal of the ministry he heads is to implement a European digital identity wallet into the mObywatel application. There will be no two applications, mObywatel will not be closed. At the same time, users who do not opt ​​for European expansion will still be able to use national documents and receive updates.

The documents – Polish and European – although available from the mObywatel application, will be independent of each other. There will be no flow of information between them, which should calm concerns about data security.

Thanks to the expansion of mObywatela with a European module, users will be able to confirm their identity throughout the EU. This will allow them, for example, to open bank accounts abroad or rent cars in other EU countries. The European digital identity wallet can also be used to verify age online, which is important in the context of plans for mechanisms to protect minors against the negative influence of social media.

Full integration of mObywatel with the European document will take at least several months, and the initial implementation date is estimated at 2027 or 2028. The pilot period is needed for full integration of Polish document standards with those developed by other EU countries.

Poland is in an advantageous situation because it already has an electronic identification means, but many EU member states are just starting to build such tools. The pilot period will give other members of the community time to implement the European Digital Identity Wallet.

What will it look like from the users’ point of view? After the pilot, European functions in mObywatel will be available as an update. After completing it, another tab will appear on the application desktop.

After clicking it for the first time, the user will be able to install an additional module and authenticate it. From now on, you will be able to access the European identity document, recognized in all European Union countries, from the main window of the mObywatel application by selecting the “European identity document” tab.

Each user will decide for themselves when they are ready to join the European version of the application. Anyone who does not want to update mObywatel will remain with all the existing functions operating in Poland. Nothing is imposed – the transition to the European extension will only take place after clicking and confirming your identity. And when someone decides to update, they will have access to all European functions within mObywatela