The AltID digital identity app is set to become Denmark’s new public ID wallet from spring 2026, adding another layer to an already crowded landscape of digital public services. Presented by the Ministry of Digitalisation as a “digital identity wallet” where people can store ID and age certificates on their phones, AltID is being developed to meet new EU rules on electronic identification and to strengthen age verification and online safety across Europe.
How AltID will work as a digital identity wallet
AltID is described by the authorities as Denmark’s new digital identity wallet (digital identitetstegnebog). The app will allow users to collect a range of official certificates in one place, starting with a digital ID document and an age certificate. Over time, both public authorities and private companies will be able to add more digital proofs, such as licences or other forms of identification.
Unlike MitID, which is primarily used to log in securely to online banking, public services and digital mail, AltID is meant to function as a wallet for selected pieces of information. While MitID confirms a person’s identity to access services, AltID is designed to show only the specific details that are needed in a given situation. In practice, this could mean confirming that a user is over a certain age without revealing their full date of birth or address.
According to the Ministry of Digitalisation, the first version of AltID will launch as a voluntary app. Users will be able to download it on their smartphones and activate a digital ID and age certificate. The app is intended to work both offline and online in everyday situations where people are currently asked to show a physical ID card, such as collecting parcels or proving their age.
Age verification, online safety and the debate on control
One of the central use cases for AltID is age verification. The app is expected to be used when buying alcohol in supermarkets, accessing certain online services or entering venues with age limits. The government also highlights its role in verifying age on social media platforms and on websites with adult content, as part of broader efforts to protect minors online.
The decision to introduce a new age verification and ID app has, however, sparked a public debate in Denmark. When the Ministry of Digitalisation invited the public to suggest names for the new app, it received around 3,000 proposals. Among them were critical suggestions such as “Big Brother”, “State Tyranny” and “My European North Korea”, reflecting concerns about surveillance and state control in the digital sphere.
Digitalisation Minister Caroline Stage has emphasised that AltID is meant to strengthen privacy, not to weaken it. The idea is that users will only share the information strictly necessary for a given transaction, rather than handing over a full ID document. For example, when a person needs to prove they are above a certain age, AltID should be able to confirm this without revealing the person’s exact age or civil registration number.
Despite these assurances, questions remain about how the app will be implemented in practice. Civil society organisations and digital rights advocates are likely to scrutinise how data are stored, who can request access, and whether the use of AltID will remain genuinely voluntary in situations where businesses and platforms prefer digital verification over analogue alternatives.
From MitID to AltID: what changes for everyday life in Denmark
For many residents, AltID will arrive on top of a long list of existing public digital tools. Daily life in Denmark is already structured around apps such as MitID, e-Boks, Rejsekort, the digital health card and various healthcare apps. AltID is meant to simplify one part of this ecosystem by gathering different proofs of identity in a single wallet, but its success will depend on how seamlessly it integrates with services people use every day.
In the short term, MitID will continue to be the primary tool for secure login to banking and public services, while AltID will be introduced as a complementary solution for ID and age checks. The two apps are not expected to replace each other. Instead, they form different layers of Denmark’s highly digitalised welfare state: MitID for authentication, AltID for presenting selected credentials when needed.
For shops, online platforms and public institutions, the app could make verification processes faster and more standardised. A cashier checking age, for example, would no longer need to inspect a physical ID card, but could rely on a digital confirmation that the customer meets the age requirement. At the same time, the authorities argue that the app can limit the amount of personal data shared in such encounters.
However, the introduction of yet another public app also raises questions about digital exclusion. People without smartphones, with limited digital skills or with concerns about sharing their personal data may be reluctant to adopt AltID. Ensuring that analogue options remain available and that the app is accessible to different groups will be a key challenge for policymakers.
AltID and the EU’s plan for a common digital identity
AltID is not only a national project; it is also part of a wider European Digital Identity Framework. Under a new EU regulation on electronic identification and trust services, all EU member states are required to offer at least one EU Digital Identity Wallet to citizens, residents and businesses by the end of 2026. These wallets are meant to work across borders, allowing people to prove who they are and to store and share official documents securely throughout the EU.
Denmark’s solution is being designed so that it can eventually be used across the European Union. In the longer term, Danish users should be able to rely on AltID not only when they pick up a parcel in Copenhagen, but also when they check into a hotel in another EU country or enrol at a university abroad. Similarly, Denmark will have to recognise compatible digital identity wallets developed in other member states.
For the Nordic region, where digital public services are already highly developed, AltID adds another layer of integration between national systems and EU-level rules. It illustrates how European regulation is reshaping the way people identify themselves online and offline, and how questions of privacy, security and convenience are negotiated in everyday technologies.
As AltID moves from pilot projects and legislative preparations to everyday use, Denmark will offer an early test of how a European-style digital identity wallet works in practice. The experience will be closely watched by other EU countries as they design their own solutions, and by citizens and civil society organisations who are trying to balance the benefits of seamless digital identification with the need to protect fundamental rights and personal data.
