SD-JWT-based Verifiable Digital Credentials (SD-JWT VC)

Note

Non-final document: IETF draft (version 22) describing data formats and validation rules for expressing verifiable digital credentials in SD-JWT format.

Summary

Purpose

The IETF draft specification “SD-JWT VC” describes a verifiable digital credential format based on SD-JWT, that is, a JWT that allows selective disclosure. The corpus holds version 22, published on 27 October 2026 draft-ietf-oauth-sd-jwt-vc-22:

With SD-JWT, the holder can choose which claims to reveal, within the limits set by the issuer draft-ietf-oauth-sd-jwt-vc-22, [1.2.](#section-1.2) [SD-JWT as a Credential Format](#name-sd-jwt-as-a-credential-form).

Who it applies to

The draft itself imposes nothing. The eIDAS acts designate the “SD-JWT VC” format without a version number, by three routes.

• PID providers. Natural person identification data must be issued in accordance with clauses 5 (SD-JWT VC format) and 6 (ISO/IEC-mdoc format) of the standards in Annex II to Implementing Regulation 2024/2979, with certain sub-clauses excepted; section 4.2 of the annex to Implementing Regulation 2024/2977 specifies the SD-JWT VC encoding Annex Art. 3(3).
• Attestation and wallet providers. Annex II to Implementing Regulation 2024/2979 makes clauses 2 to 6 of specification ETSI TS 119 472-1 applicable, with adaptations Annex II. Clause 5 of that specification is its SD-JWT VC-based realisation ETSI TS 119 472-1 V1.2.1, § 1 Scope. Attestations issued to wallets comply with at least one standard in that annex Art. 4(1), and wallet solutions must support its formats Art. 8.
• Relying parties and wallets, at presentation. Under Annex II to Implementing Regulation 2024/2982, where the format of the requested attestation complies with reference [2] of specification ETSI TS 119 472-2, they must comply with the “IETF SD-JWT VCs” profile in section 6 of OpenID4VC-HAIP Annex II. In that ETSI specification, reference [2] designates RFC 9901 (SD-JWT) ETSI TS 119 472-2 V1.2.1, § 2.1 Normative references.

Key points

• The PID claims. The PID data appear as claims “in the meaning of SD-JWT VC format specifications”; each must be selectively disclosable, except those that the format excludes from selective disclosure Annex.
• The vct type. The draft defines the vct claim, which identifies the type of the credential; it sets no values and leaves each ecosystem to define them draft-ietf-oauth-sd-jwt-vc-22, [2.2.2.1.](#section-2.2.2.1) [Verifiable Digital Credential Type - `vct` Claim](#name-verifiable-digital-credentia). For PID, the annex sets the base type urn:eudi:pid:1 and the namespace urn:eudi:pid: Annex.
• Key binding. An SD-JWT VC is verified through the issuer’s signature and, where key binding is used, through proof that the holder possesses the key designated in the cnf claim draft-ietf-oauth-sd-jwt-vc-22, [1.2.](#section-1.2) [SD-JWT as a Credential Format](#name-sd-jwt-as-a-credential-form). The annex makes cnf mandatory for PID, with a key derived from the secure device (WSCD) Annex.
• Selective disclosure optional in the draft. Its use is optional in an SD-JWT VC draft-ietf-oauth-sd-jwt-vc-22, [1.2.](#section-1.2) [SD-JWT as a Credential Format](#name-sd-jwt-as-a-credential-form); the annex requires it for the PID claims Annex.
• Type metadata. The draft describes metadata associated with a type, in particular for displaying the credential draft-ietf-oauth-sd-jwt-vc-22, [1.2.](#section-1.2) [SD-JWT as a Credential Format](#name-sd-jwt-as-a-credential-form).

Clauses referred to by the acts

• The acts refer to the format as a whole, without a version or clause number Annex Annex II.
• The intermediate standards, for their part, set a version: specification ETSI TS 119 472-1 and OpenID4VC-HAIP cite version 13 of the draft, which the corpus also contains (version 13 record) draft-ietf-oauth-sd-jwt-vc-13; see the “version” notice.
• The annexes cited reflect the changes made by Implementing Regulation 2026/1731 Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1731; this summary cites the consolidated versions.

Links

• Acts that refer to it: Implementing Regulations 2024/2977 Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2977 — consolidated version of 11/08/2026, 2024/2979 Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2979 — consolidated version of 11/08/2026 and 2024/2982 Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2982 — consolidated version of 11/08/2026.
• Intermediate standards: ETSI TS 119 472-1 ETSI TS 119 472-1 V1.2.1, ETSI TS 119 472-2 ETSI TS 119 472-2 V1.2.1, OpenID4VC-HAIP 1.0 OpenID4VC HAIP 1.0.
• Related standards: RFC 9901, SD-JWT RFC 9901; RFC 7519 RFC 7519; RFC 7800 RFC 7800.
• Learning path: step 3, the European wallet.

Written by Asphalia.