The move should mostly reduce paperwork, making it easier to enroll in universities, check your health records or set up bank accounts. You might even have the chance to create bank accounts in other EU countries without having to show up in person, although the European Commission is working with an expert group to prevent abuse for purposes like money laundering.

There are some broader implications as well. This could help you share only the data that's absolutely essential, which should be vital for blockchain-based identity systems where distributed trust is everything. It could also be used to bolster GDPR rules by either verifying ages or safeguarding children online without having to reveal any of their information.

It's going to be a long while before you can simply assume that your digital ID will work wherever you go within the EU. In practice, the new rules amount to an inconsistent patchwork. Even so, it may just be a question of when, not if, you can stop worrying about having physical identification close at hand.