ID Austria is the Austrian national digital identity. You use it on your smartphone to log in to public services such as FinanzOnline and to sign documents electronically. It replaces the Handy-Signatur, which is being phased out.

Can foreigners living in Austria get ID Austria?

Registration is tied to a verified identity document and to the Austrian registers, so people resident in Austria can generally register, including non-citizens with an Austrian residence document. The exact requirements are listed on the official ID Austria site.

Is ID Austria the same as the EU Digital Identity Wallet?

No. ID Austria is the existing national eID. Austria has said it will develop its EU wallet from ID Austria and the eAusweise app, so the two are expected to be closely linked, but a certified EU wallet had not been launched publicly in October 2026.

Can I use ID Austria in another EU country?

Yes, for services that are connected to the eIDAS network. ID Austria is notified at the high level of assurance, so public services in other member states that accept notified eIDs should recognise it.

Digital ID in Austria: ID Austria and the EU wallet

You prove your identity online in Austria with ID Austria, the national eID that runs as an app on your smartphone. It lets you log in to government services, sign documents with a qualified electronic signature (with full functionality) and, together with the separate eAusweise app, show certain documents in person. The EU wallet is meant to grow out of these tools, not replace them overnight.

At a glance

Item	Austria
National eID	ID Austria (successor to the Handy-Signatur)
Physical card with eID function	Not the everyday route; ID Austria on the smartphone is the standard way to log in
Mobile / app solution	ID Austria app; eAusweise app for documents
Bank-based ID	Not the main route for public services
eIDAS notification	Yes, ID Austria notified in April 2022, level of assurance high
EU wallet (October 2026)	Planned as an upgrade of ID Austria and eAusweise; no binding public launch date found
Responsible bodies	Federal Chancellery and Federal Ministry of Finance, with the Federal Computing Centre (BRZ)

The national system

ID Austria is the central login for Austrian e-government. You use it for tax matters on FinanzOnline, for municipal services, for health and social services and for many private sector services that have connected to it. It comes in two forms: a basic version for authentication and a full version that adds the qualified electronic signature, which is legally equal to a handwritten signature. If you want to understand what that signature allows, see our guide to qualified electronic signatures.

The eAusweise app is separate. It stores documents such as the driving licence and the vehicle registration certificate, and it offers a digital proof of age for in-person checks. Reports put the number of activated documents at over one million. Think of ID Austria as the online login and eAusweise as the digital wallet for physical situations.

How to get and use it

The official ID Austria site explains the steps in detail, so here is the short version:

Register for ID Austria. Depending on your situation you can do this online with an existing digital identity or in person at a registration office, for example a municipal office.
Activate the app on your smartphone and protect it with a PIN or biometrics. The app is the key, so treat the phone like a house key.
Pick the level you need. Choose the full functionality if you want qualified signatures or the eAusweise documents.
When a service offers “Login with ID Austria”, confirm the login in the app, usually by fingerprint or face unlock.

People who still use the Handy-Signatur should switch, because ID Austria is the successor. The transition can be done online through the official portals. The service is free for citizens and residents.

The EU wallet in Austria (October 2026)

Austria has repeatedly said that it will not start from scratch. The plan is to extend ID Austria and the eAusweise app so that they meet the requirements of the EU Digital Identity Wallet. In July 2026, an independent tracker listed Austria as “existing app, upgrade confirmed”. The Federal Chancellery had said in autumn 2025 that the existing infrastructure would be expanded step by step, and we found no binding public start date for a certified wallet.

What this means in practice: by the end of 2026, Austria must offer at least one certified wallet, and public bodies must be ready to accept wallets from other member states. Whether Austrian users will see a new app or an update of the existing ones, and when, should be checked on the official ID Austria pages before you plan around it. Our EUDI wallet guide explains the legal deadlines and what the wallet will hold.

Using it abroad, and as a foreigner

Because ID Austria is notified under eIDAS at the high level of assurance, other EU countries are obliged to recognise it for their online public services, if they have connected their service to the eIDAS network. In practice, support varies by service, so test the login before an important deadline. Our page on using your eID in another EU country covers the typical pitfalls, and levels of assurance explains what “high” means.

For people moving to Austria, ID Austria is available to residents who can verify their identity with an accepted document. Neighbouring Germany and the Czech Republic run different systems, so a login from one country does not automatically work in the other except through the eIDAS route.

Privacy and security in brief

ID Austria uses the security features of the smartphone, and the login is confirmed on the device. Keep the phone updated, use a screen lock and never share confirmation codes with anyone who calls you. If your phone is lost, you can revoke ID Austria through the official channels, so note down how that works before you need it. Be wary of messages that imitate government agencies, and always open the official site yourself instead of following a link. The main source is the ID Austria website.

Quick checklist

Register for ID Austria with full functionality if you plan to sign documents or use eAusweise.
Move over from the Handy-Signatur before it is switched off for your services.
Note down how to revoke ID Austria if the phone is lost.
Watch the official ID Austria pages for the date of the EU wallet upgrade.