Europass Digital Credentials and EASEC: Issuing Verifiable Competency Certifications on Europe's Official Infrastructure
About this framework
European Digital Credentials for Learning (EDC) are the European Commission's standard for issuing tamper-evident, legally valid digital credentials across education, training and professional development. Built on the Europass platform and sealed with Qualified Electronic Seals under the eIDAS regulation, EDCs are verifiable, portable and stored in learners' Europass wallets — making qualifications and certifications instantly recognisable across Europe.
Why Europass Digital Credentials Matter
Paper certificates can be lost, forged or misunderstood. PDF diplomas can be altered. Self-reported skills on CVs carry no verification. European Digital Credentials solve all three problems by providing a standardised, machine-readable, cryptographically sealed format for any type of learning achievement — from university degrees to vocational qualifications to professional competency certifications.
To date, more than 76,000 EDCs have been issued to learners' Europass wallets, with universities, vocational education and training providers, European University alliances, Erasmus+ projects and national initiatives leading adoption. Europass itself has reached 10 million registered users, making it the largest skills and qualifications platform in Europe.
The EDC infrastructure is part of the European Commission's broader vision for the European Education Area and the Union of Skills, where credentials issued in any Member State are automatically verifiable and comparable in every other. For any organisation that certifies learning outcomes — whether academic qualifications, microcredentials or professional competencies — EDC is the format that makes those certifications part of Europe's official credentialing ecosystem.
For any organisation that certifies learning outcomes — whether academic qualifications, microcredentials or professional competencies — EDC is the format that makes those certifications part of Europe's official credentialing ecosystem.
How Europass Digital Credentials Work
The EDC infrastructure comprises three interconnected components: the Issuer, the Viewer and the Wallet, all available as open-source software on the code.europa.eu repository.
The Issuance Process
An authorised issuing organisation creates a credential using the European Learning Model (ELM v3), which defines the structured data format for describing what was learnt, how it was assessed, who issued the credential and at what level. The credential is then sealed with a Qualified Electronic Seal (QSealC) under the eIDAS regulation, providing the same legal standing as a handwritten signature and organisational stamp.
The sealed credential is delivered directly to the learner's Europass wallet — a secure, personal space within their Europass account where they can store, view and share their credentials. Alternatively, learners receive the credential via email with instructions for uploading it to their wallet.
Technical Standards
EDCs are issued in JSON-LD format aligned with the W3C Verifiable Credentials v1.1 standard, ensuring interoperability with the broader international verifiable credentials ecosystem. The European Learning Model (ELM) serves as the application profile, defining how credential data is structured within the European context.
The Qualified Electronic Seal guarantees two things: authenticity (the credential was genuinely issued by the organisation it claims) and integrity (the credential has not been modified since issuance). Under eIDAS, a document sealed with a QSealC is legally admissible in all EU Member States.
What an EDC Contains
A typical EDC includes: the identity of the credential holder, the title and description of the learning achievement, the learning outcomes achieved, the assessment method used, the EQF level (when applicable), the ESCO skill references (when applicable), the issuing organisation's details, the date of issuance, and the electronic seal. All of this is structured data — meaning it can be read and processed automatically by machines, not just by humans.
Verification
Anyone who receives a shared EDC can verify it instantly through the Europass platform. The verification checks the electronic seal's validity, confirms the issuing organisation's identity and confirms that the credential has not been tampered with. No intermediary is needed — the verification is direct, automated and free.
Who Issues and Uses EDCs
Universities and higher education institutions
Issuerissue EDCs for degrees, diploma supplements, microcredentials and Erasmus+ mobility records. European University alliances have been early adopters, using EDCs to facilitate cross-institutional recognition.
Vocational education and training providers
Issuerissue EDCs for professional qualifications and certificates of competence, particularly in sectors with high cross-border mobility.
National authorities
Issuerare integrating EDC issuance into their qualifications systems. Several Member States have launched national initiatives to transition from paper credentials to EDC format.
Professional certification bodies — including EASEC
Issueruse EDCs to issue verifiable certifications that carry legal weight across Europe.
Employers
Userreceive and verify EDCs when assessing candidates' qualifications and competencies. The structured, machine-readable format makes EDCs significantly faster and more reliable to process than paper certificates or PDF scans.
Individuals
Userstore their EDCs in their Europass wallet, building a portable, verified digital portfolio of qualifications and competencies that they own and control for life.
How EASEC Issues European Digital Credentials
EASEC is an authorised issuer of European Digital Credentials for Learning. When a professional or student completes an EASEC competency certification, the credential is issued natively in EDC format — not as a separate process or an add-on, but as the primary credential output.
The EASEC EDC Issuance Process
The entire issuance process is managed by EASEC. Partner institutions — universities, training centres, certification centres — do not need to build, host or integrate any credentialing infrastructure of their own.
Psychometric assessment
The individual completes the EASEC psychometric assessment for one or more transversal competencies.
Result validation & level assignment
The assessment result is validated against the EASEC proficiency framework and assigned a level (1–5).
Credential structuring
The credential is structured according to the European Learning Model, populated with verified competency data, ESCO skill references, EQF level correspondence and O*NET element mapping.
eIDAS sealing & wallet delivery
The credential is sealed with a Qualified Electronic Seal under eIDAS and deposited directly into the learner's Europass wallet.
What an EASEC EDC Contains
Every EASEC European Digital Credential includes the following structured metadata fields:
| Metadata field | Description |
|---|---|
| Holder identification | The certified individual. |
| Competency certified | The specific transversal competence (e.g. Problem Solving, Leadership, Emotional Intelligence). |
| EASEC proficiency level | Foundational, Applied, Proficient, Strategic or Expert. |
| EQF level correspondence | The European Qualifications Framework level corresponding to the certified competence. |
| ESCO skill reference | The URI linking to the corresponding ESCO skill concept. |
| O*NET element reference | The corresponding O*NET Content Model element. |
| Assessment methodology | Psychometric assessment with forced-choice and situational judgement test formats. |
| Reliability indicator | 98% validated reliability under European standards. |
| Issuing organisation | EASEC, European Accreditation of Soft Skills & Employability Competencies. |
| Date of issuance & Qualified Electronic Seal | Timestamp and eIDAS-compliant cryptographic seal ensuring tamper-evident verification. |
This level of metadata richness means an EASEC EDC is not just a digital certificate — it is a structured data object that connects the individual's verified competence to the European skills classification (ESCO), the European qualifications scale (EQF), the global occupational data standard (O*NET) and the European legal framework for electronic trust services (eIDAS).
Why This Matters for Partner Institutions
Universities, business schools and training providers that certify competencies through EASEC gain immediate access to the EU's official credentialing infrastructure without any technical integration or infrastructure investment.
This is particularly relevant for institutions outside the EU — in Latin America, Asia-Pacific or the Middle East — that want their students' competency certifications to carry European-standard verifiability without establishing their own connection to the Europass infrastructure.
What This Means for You
For Employers
When you receive an EASEC credential as an EDC, you can verify it instantly and for free through the Europass platform. The verification confirms that the credential is authentic, unmodified and issued by an authorised body. The structured metadata tells you exactly which competence was certified, at what level and against which international standards — without ambiguity and without relying on the candidate's self-report.
For Education Institutions
Issuing EASEC certifications as EDCs means your students' competency credentials are stored in the same Europass wallet as their academic qualifications, creating a unified, verified skills portfolio. For institutions participating in European University alliances, Erasmus+ or Bologna Process activities, EDC compatibility ensures seamless credential recognition across partner institutions.
For Individuals
Your EASEC certification lives in your Europass wallet alongside your degrees, diplomas and other credentials. It is yours for life — portable, shareable, verifiable by any employer or institution in Europe with a single click. No paper to lose, no PDF to question, no claim that cannot be verified.
Frequently Asked Questions About Europass Digital Credentials
Issue Verifiable Credentials with EASEC
EASEC issues European Digital Credentials sealed with Qualified Electronic Seals for every competency certification — deposited directly into learners' Europass wallets. No infrastructure required from partner institutions.
Related Frameworks
Discover how EASEC aligns with other international standards: