On 14 October the Bundestag’s Digital Affairs Committee held a public hearing on the government’s Digital Identity Act, the domestic legislation required to implement the EU Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet. Experts from the tech industry, data-protection authorities and travel associations largely welcomed the bill, arguing that a secure, standardised wallet would shorten airport queues, automate hotel check-ins and reduce visa-application paperwork for non-EU nationals. The draft law would allow German residents to store a verified ID, driving licence and—crucially for global mobility—proof of residence or work permit on their smartphone. Border police could scan a QR code instead of the physical passport chip, and airlines would be permitted to conduct advance passenger verification entirely online. The Interior Ministry told MPs that pilot deployments with Lufthansa and the Federal Police at Frankfurt Airport are planned for Q2 2027. Privacy advocates cautioned that the bill currently lacks clear limits on which private companies may request wallet credentials. The Federal Data Protection Commissioner suggested mandatory purpose-binding and explicit user consent for each credential transaction. Without these safeguards, employees on assignment in Germany could face intrusive data requests from landlords or telecom providers, they warned. Business-immigration lawyers attending the hearing highlighted the potential to integrate residence titles issued under the Skilled Immigration Act directly into the wallet. That would slash processing times for Blue-Card holders arriving from abroad and enable automatic registration with municipal authorities. The Committee chair signalled an amendment may be tabled next week to mandate such functionality by 2028. If passed this year, Germany would be among the first EU states to transpose the EUDI framework. Multinationals should begin auditing their HR and travel-management systems for compatibility with verifiable digital IDs, as paper copies of work permits may become obsolete within three years.
Source: Deutscher Bundestag
