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Benidorm chosen to pilot EU's new digital wallet initiative
The new system is designed to replace ID cards, passports, bank cards and more with one phone-based ‘wallet’
Benidorm has been selected as a testing ground for the European Union’s new digital wallet, a system designed to streamline identification and administrative processes for citizens across Europe.
This tool is supposed to allow Europeans to store and manage their official documents – including ID cards, passports, bank cards, health insurance details and even airline tickets – in a secure digital format accessible from their mobile devices.
The EU’s digital wallet has been billed as a way to provide a secure, standardised identification system that will be recognised across all member states, eliminating the need for private identification methods or unnecessary sharing of personal data.
Citizens will have complete control over the information they share, ensuring that only relevant details are provided when needed.
Each member state will be responsible for offering digital wallets that link national digital identities with other personal credentials, such as driving licences, academic diplomas and bank accounts.
With just a few taps on their phone, users will be able to verify their identity, sign documents and complete administrative tasks without the need for physical paperwork.
When it is fully matured, the upcoming European Digital Wallet will doubtless have an enormous impact on the way people travel. It is expected to revolutionise tourism by integrating essential travel documents, including passports, boarding passes, hotel reservations and excursion tickets, into one seamless digital solution.
The wallet is also supposed to facilitate smart travel, allowing users to check into hotels remotely, receive digital room keys and even purchase in-flight meals before boarding.
While it may seem slightly scary and dystopian for those who prefer to retain their privacy using physical documents, given the current trajectory of everything in society to go digital, this almost seems like an inevitable next step.
For instance, Spanish airline Vueling has already introduced paperless boarding, allowing travellers to board without a physical ticket or even a passport.
The challenge for the EU before the system can be widely implemented will be to ensure that the personal data stored remains properly encrypted and accessible only to those who need or have permission to view it.
At a recent conference held in Madrid titled ‘New Model of Digital Identity: Telematic and Secure’, industry experts including representatives of the Ministry for Digital Transformation and the Civil Service, the National Police and the Directorate for Innovation, Data and Digital Transformation of the Community of Madrid discussed the challenges and opportunities of implementing a single digital wallet across Europe.
Fabián Torres, Business Development Director at SICPA, highlighted its potential to unify travel processes, enhance security and improve efficiency for both tourists and businesses.
“We are developing all the automation of the new registration law affecting hotels, all the new information requested from guests, which is so much talked about, to simplify and streamline the check in process,” he said.
“To do this, the tests will be carried out in Benidorm, with the help of Visit Benidorm, because it is an extraordinary laboratory of digital innovation in tourism worldwide, working closely with the hotels in the area and guests who will be staying there.”
The European Digital Wallet is set to roll out progressively from 2026, marking a major shift in how Europeans manage their personal and travel documentation. If successful, the Benidorm trials could pave the way for a more streamlined and secure digital identification system, setting a new standard for administrative and travel-related processes across the continent.
Before the end of 2025, the EU is expected to fully roll out its Entry/Exit System (EES) biometric scanning system at its borders in order to more fully control migration in and out of the Schengen Area and to be able to charge non-EU travellers for the ETIAS visa waiver.
Image: SICPA
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