Can an expat use it: Gov.gr Wallet is the Greek state's official app (launched in July 2022 under Law 4954/2022) for keeping digital copies of your ID documents on your phone, valid for any legal use inside Greece but not for travel abroad. A foreign resident can use it partially: with a Greek tax number (AFM), TaxisNet codes and a mobile number registered in the EMEp communication register (a foreign number can be used), you can log in and store documents such as a Greek driving licence and your Personal Number. The national ID card and Greek passport, though, are for citizens only, and you cannot add a foreign passport or a residence permit.
- What it is
- Greece's official digital-identity wallet app, run by the Ministry of Digital Governance with GRNET.
- Legal basis
- Law 4954/2022, art. 80 (ΦΕΚ 136/Α/2022), amended by Law 4985/2022 art. 85.
- Launched
- 27 July 2022.
- Cost
- Free; setup takes about six minutes (source: gov.gr procedure registry, 2026).
- For foreign residents
- Partial use — needs an AFM, TaxisNet codes and a mobile number (Greek or foreign) registered in the EMEp register.
- Abroad
- Not a travel document — invalid at border control and on international flights and ferries.
What is gov.gr Wallet?
Gov.gr Wallet is the Greek state's official smartphone app, launched on 27 July 2022, that stores digital copies of your ID documents; under Law 4954/2022 (art. 80) those digital documents carry the same legal force as the physical originals for any legal use within Greek territory (source: gov.gr procedure registry, mitos.gov.gr).
Think of it as the paper wallet in your back pocket, moved onto your phone and signed by the state. It is run by the Ministry of Digital Governance with GRNET, and holds a growing set of documents behind a QR code any clerk or police officer can scan to check they are genuine. By 2026 the list stretched well past the ID card, taking in a driving licence with its penalty points, the passport, your Personal Number, the academic ID, the DYPA (former OAED) unemployment card, a disability card and vehicle data such as road tax and insurance.
The appetite was there from day one: those first 112,100 documents split into 63,800 digital IDs and 48,300 driving licences, already usable on some domestic flights. By September 2025 the Ministry of Digital Governance was calling it the most popular application of the Greek public sector, with the goal of making it a basic point of contact between citizens and the state by 2027.
“Gov.gr Wallet is turning into a basic interface point between citizens and the state.”
— Dimitris Papastergiou, Minister of Digital Governance (mindigital.gr)
Can a foreign resident use gov.gr Wallet?
A foreign resident can use gov.gr Wallet partially: if you hold a Greek tax number (AFM), TaxisNet codes and a Greek-provider mobile number confirmed in the EMEp register, you can log in and store documents Greek registries already hold for you. But the flagship national ID card and Greek passport are for Greek citizens only, and the app does not support a foreign passport or a residence permit (source: gov.gr procedure registry).
Here is the honest version the marketing skips. The wallet is legally provided to “citizens”, and its two headline documents — the national ID card and the Greek passport — stay locked to Greek nationals. Holding a residence card, an AMKA social-security number or an AFM does not unlock them. So an expat's real, usable slice of the app is narrower than the launch fanfare suggested: chiefly a Greek-issued driving licence, your Personal Number, insurance capacity via your AMKA, and a guest sports-ticket feature that does not even need a login.
Take Maria, a Canadian citizen in Thessaloniki with an AFM, TaxisNet codes and a Greek mobile number, who has already swapped her Canadian licence for a Greek one. She can install the app, log in, and store that Greek licence and her Personal Number — real, valid documents inside Greece. What she cannot add is her Canadian passport or her residence permit; those are not on the supported list. Her partner, who has an AFM but has never registered a mobile number in EMEp, cannot even complete the login yet.
Before you start: what you need
To create documents you must authenticate with two-factor TaxisNet codes (or web-banking codes from a Greek bank) plus a mobile number registered in the National Communication Register, known as EMEp — a foreign number can be registered, which is what makes the app reachable for many expats (source: gov.gr, 2026). The service is free and takes about six minutes.
A Greek tax number (AFM)
The AFM is the entry point. Any natural person who has been assigned a Greek tax number can register in EMEp, and third-country nationals with an AFM can also confirm their details and be assigned a Personal Number (Προσωπικός Αριθμός) — the new unified state identifier that is gradually replacing both the AFM and the AMKA (source: gsis.gr, 2025).
TaxisNet or web-banking codes
You log in either with two-factor TaxisNet codes issued by the tax authority, or with web-banking codes plus a mobile number certified by a Greek bank. These are the same credentials you use for most gov.gr services, so many residents already have them.
A mobile number registered in EMEp
This is the step expats most often miss. The number must be registered in the EMEp register (emep.gov.gr) through TaxisNet, confirming a one-time code sent by SMS. A foreign (non-Greek) number can be registered too — the EMEp was created precisely for cases where a Greek mobile provider could not certify the number, and residents abroad can verify it through remote identification or a citizen-service (KEP) office. Each mobile number can be declared by only one person, so a shared family SIM will not work for two people.
How to set up gov.gr Wallet, step by step
Setting up gov.gr Wallet takes five moves: install the app, log in with TaxisNet, confirm your EMEp-registered mobile by SMS, set a biometric or PIN unlock, then create each document from its Greek registry (source: gov.gr procedure registry, 2026). Internet access is needed both to create and to verify a document.
- Install gov.gr Wallet from the App Store, Google Play, or via wallet.gov.gr.
- Log in with your TaxisNet or web-banking codes.
- Confirm your EMEp-registered mobile number with the SMS code.
- Set a fingerprint, face or PIN unlock.
- Choose a document; it is generated from the relevant Greek registry.
Two limits are worth knowing before you rely on it. The app installs on only one device at a time — each new installation cancels the previous one — and it is not supported on tablets. If your phone or the underlying physical document is reported lost, the digital versions are cancelled too. Connecting through a VPN is not recommended.
What documents you can — and can't — add
A foreign resident can add documents Greek registries already issue to them — a Greek-issued driving licence, the Personal Number, and insurance capacity through an AMKA — but not the Greek national ID card, the Greek passport, a foreign passport or a residence permit (source: Ministry of Digital Governance; gov.gr procedure registry).
The most useful entry for most expats is a Greek-issued driving licence: once you have exchanged your foreign licence for, or been issued, a Greek one, you can store it exactly like any citizen. The exchange runs through the Regional Transport Departments under the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, and needs your foreign licence, passport or ID, residence permit or EU registration certificate, AFM and translations. The table below shows the full picture at a glance.
| Document / feature | Available to a foreign resident? | Valid where |
|---|---|---|
| Greek national ID card | No — issued to Greek citizens only | Greece only |
| Greek passport | No — Greek citizens only | Greece only (not international travel) |
| Greek-issued driving licence | Yes, if you hold a Greek licence (after exchange or issue) | Greece only |
| Personal Number (Προσωπικός Αριθμός) | Yes, if you have a Greek AFM | Greece (state transactions) |
| Insurance capacity (via AMKA) | Yes, if you have an AMKA and insurance | Greece only |
| Foreign passport | No — not supported | — |
| Residence permit / EU registration certificate | No — not supported | — |
| Match-ticket verification (guest, NFC passport) | Yes — for residents abroad, no login needed | Greek stadiums |
That last row is a genuinely useful side door. Since 6 August 2024, permanent residents abroad — including third-country-passport holders — can verify tickets for Super League 1, Basket League, the Greek Cup and international games in guest mode without logging in: you open the app as a guest, let it read the NFC chip of your passport, and enter your ticket reservation code (source: Ministry of Sports, 2024).
Does the digital ID or passport work abroad?
No. The digital documents in gov.gr Wallet have the same validity as paper ones only inside Greek territory; they are not international travel documents and are not accepted at border control, on international flights, or on ferries leaving Greece — you must still carry the physical passport (source: To Vima, 2026). They are, however, accepted on domestic Greek flights.
This is the costliest misunderstanding. The Greek passport was added in July 2026 as the thirteenth document, and only for Greek citizens holding a valid ordinary passport — not service or diplomatic ones. Even for them, the digital passport does not replace the physical one for travel; it is a domestic convenience. For a foreign resident the point is simpler still: nothing in the wallet helps you cross a border.
Watch out: do not head to the airport or the ferry port relying on the digital ID or digital passport in gov.gr Wallet. Outside Greece — and at any international departure — it is not accepted, and you will be turned back without the physical document. Inside the country, including on domestic flights, it is fine.
Is gov.gr Wallet safe to use?
Gov.gr Wallet protects documents with biometric or PIN unlock and a single-device rule — each new installation cancels the previous one (source: wallet.gov.gr, 2026). Its record is not spotless, though: a security flaw reportedly allowing theft of TaxisNet credentials was exposed from around September 2025 until it was patched about April 2026.
The core protections are sensible: the app lives on one device at a time, unlocks only with your fingerprint, face or PIN, and cancels the stored documents if the phone or underlying ID is reported lost. Against that, the 2025–2026 vulnerability drew real criticism over how long the fix took, given the app holds sensitive identity documents for millions. The sober read: a mainstream, state-run app with strong everyday safeguards and one uncomfortable episode behind it — treat it like your banking app, not an infallible vault.
Looking ahead, gov.gr Wallet is being adapted toward the EU Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet under the eIDAS 2.0 regulation (Regulation (EU) 2024/1183), in force since 20 May 2024, which obliges member states to offer citizens and residents an EU wallet — the target is widely cited around December 2026. That is the eventual route by which Greece's digital documents might gain the cross-border recognition they lack today.
This article does not replace professional legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreign resident use gov.gr Wallet?
Partially. A foreign resident with a Greek tax number (AFM), TaxisNet codes and a Greek-provider mobile in the EMEp register can log in and store documents such as a Greek-issued driving licence and their Personal Number. The Greek national ID card and passport remain citizen-only (source: gov.gr procedure registry).
Can I add my foreign passport or residence permit to gov.gr Wallet?
No. The supported-document set defined by the Ministry of Digital Governance does not include foreign passports or residence permits and EU registration certificates, so those cannot be digitised in the wallet.
Do I need a Greek phone number to use gov.gr Wallet?
No. Authentication requires a mobile number registered in the EMEp register (or one certified by a Greek bank for the web-banking route), but it does not have to be a Greek number — a foreign number can be registered, with residents abroad verifying it through remote identification or a citizen-service (KEP) office (source: gov.gr; Ministry of Foreign Affairs).
Does the gov.gr Wallet digital ID or passport work for international travel?
No. The digital documents are valid only within Greek territory and are not accepted at border control or on international flights and ferries; you must carry the physical passport. They are accepted on domestic Greek flights (source: To Vima, 2026).
Is gov.gr Wallet free?
Yes. Creating digital documents in gov.gr Wallet is free and takes roughly six minutes once you are logged in with TaxisNet or web-banking codes (source: gov.gr procedure registry, 2026).
Last verified on 13 August 2026 against Law 4954/2022 (art. 80, ΦΕΚ 136/Α/2022), in force in 2026.