What countries require digital ID for international travel in 2026?
Executive summary
As of the available reporting, no country is universally requiring a phone-based digital ID in lieu of a passport for international air border crossings in 2026; the EU is rolling out an EU Digital Identity (eID) Wallet with member states required to offer wallet apps by 2026, and several countries (notably EU members, India with Digi Yatra pilots, and long-standing e‑ID nations like Estonia) are expanding digital ID use for travel facilitation, pilots or domestic checkpoints — not wholesale international passport replacement [1] [2] [3] [4].
1. No global “digital passport” mandate for cross‑border travel — yet
Available sources show widespread programs and deadlines — the EU’s eIDAS/EUDI wallet initiative requires member states to provide a digital identity wallet by 2026, and pilot rollouts are under way — but they do not say any country has replaced passport requirements for international border crossings in 2026 [1] [2]. Major commercial offerings like Apple’s Digital ID and state mobile driver’s licenses in the U.S. are explicitly limited to domestic TSA checkpoints and are not valid “in lieu of a passport” for international travel [5] [6] [7].
2. The EU’s EUDI wallet: mandated rollout, limited immediate border effect
Multiple outlets report that eIDAS 2.0 / EUDI regulation compels EU member states to supply an eID wallet by 2026 [1] [8]. The EUDI Wallet is positioned to streamline intra‑EU movement and public services and is being piloted in places such as Greece; however, reporting frames this as an infrastructure and service rollout rather than an immediate universal replacement of passports at international border controls in 2026 [2] [8].
3. Country examples: pilots, deadlines and partial uses — not blanket mandates
Estonia is noted as a long‑running pioneer with advanced e‑ID systems and digital ID features, but sources describe these as national service credentials and do not assert that Estonia accepts a phone‑only ID for international air travel in 2026 [4]. India’s Digi Yatra is scaling to millions of users and planning global interoperability starting in 2026, but current coverage is framed as planned integration and airport efficiency pilots — not a universal mandate that travelers may cross borders using only a digital ID [3].
4. U.S. developments are domestic‑focused; international use remains passport‑based
U.S. state mobile driver’s licenses and Apple/Google Wallet integration have expanded acceptance at TSA checkpoints (domestic) and airports, but multiple sources are explicit that these mobile IDs do not substitute for passports at international borders; Apple and travel media reiterate digital passport features are not valid for international travel [5] [6] [7] [9].
5. Mixed messages and policy nuance — what “require” actually means
Some national announcements or local reports (for example Italy’s reporting that a digital identity card will become the only valid identity for certain uses after August 3, 2026) suggest administrative shifts toward digital‑first documents for travel‑related identity checks domestically or within the EU/Schengen context, but available reporting stops short of confirming that those measures constitute a worldwide or cross‑border passport replacement in 2026 [10]. Sources vary in emphasis between rollout deadlines and functional limitations, creating room for misinterpretation [10] [1].
6. Practical reality for travelers in 2026: carry the passport
All coverage that addresses traveler behavior is clear: for international travel in 2026 you should expect to need a physical passport for border crossings and customs unless you are explicitly told otherwise by the destination and carrier; digital wallets and mobile IDs are improving airport processing but are supplementary rather than universally accepted travel documents [5] [7] [3].
7. Where claims of “requirements” come from — political and rollout incentives
EU regulatory deadlines, national pilot programs, and vendor marketing generate headlines that can be read as “mandatory” change. Reporting from EU and national outlets describes legal obligations to provide wallets [1] [8], while commercial and government pilot press (Apple, Digi Yatra, state mDL programs) highlight accelerated adoption at checkpoints [9] [3]. Those are incentives and infrastructure mandates, not confirmed border‑control acceptance for every traveler in 2026 [2] [5].
Limitations and next steps: The sources provided do not list any country that, in 2026, legally accepts a phone‑only digital ID as a universal replacement for an ICAO passport at international border crossings. If you need a definitive, up‑to‑the‑minute list for a specific itinerary, consult the destination’s official immigration authority and your airline; available sources do not mention a consolidated international registry of countries accepting digital IDs for border entry (not found in current reporting).