Belgium rolls out digital ID file for official documents

A digital wallet for storing administrative documents has finished its test phase and will now be rolled out across Belgium.

The MyGov.be website allows Belgian residents to securely access government documents online, including family, health and civil status documents.

The app is free and optional, aiming to provide users with a “dematerialised wallet that’s universal, accessible, simple, secure and respectful of privacy”, authorities said.

Users will be able to group together their identity data, eBox, birth and marriage certificates, Covid vaccination certificates or the ISI+ healthcare card.

They will also be able to carry out administrative formalities online from their smartphone and an authentication function is available.

The wallet will eventually be expanded to include digital identity cards, driving licences, tax and pension records, and more, plus allow for electronic signatures. These additions are expected to roll out from 2025.

Other documents will be available in 2026, including travel documents and the European health insurance card.

Belgian residents are among the first in Europe to have a tool of this type, RTBF reports.

All of Belgium’s government agencies will be offered the chance to work with the platform to make it easier for users to complete administrative formalities.

Individuals who wish to download and activate the service must do so via the Itsme application or via their identity card.

Not all the documents contained in the digital wallet have legal value at present and some may not be available, including in all languages.

The application is also not yet suitable for all operating systems.