Context
Entering the 2020s, Hungary’s public administration faced structural digital fragmentation resulting from decades of institution‑specific IT development. Citizens were required to navigate multiple portals, paper documents, and in‑person visits even for routine procedures, while the state operated siloed systems that limited productivity, weakened trust, and prevented coherent service delivery at scale.
Recognising that incremental optimisation could not resolve these constraints, in 2022 the government re‑established the governance framework of public‑sector digitalisation and launched the Digital Citizenship Programme (DÁP) for 2022–2026, led by the Digital Hungary Agency. DÁP shifts the model from institution‑centric digitalisation to a shared, platform‑based architecture built on high‑assurance digital identity, interoperable services, and user‑centric design standards.
The DÁP mobile application serves as the primary citizen interface of this systemic reform. It provides a purpose‑built digital identity and administration solution enabling secure, legally binding interactions within a single, trusted environment. Designed from inception for European interoperability and eIDAS high‑assurance compliance, it positions Hungary on a clear implementation pathway towards cross‑border digital interactions across the European Union. It was shaped through extensive life-event research involving 5000–6000 citizens and institutions, translating pain points into early quick wins, a common design system, and a road map for progressive onboarding of public services.
Objectives
The core objective is to deliver a secure, high‑adoption mobile application enabling legally binding digital interactions between citizens, the state, and the private sector. Two further strategic objectives are to significantly reduce physical administration and to enable seamless interoperability across public institutions and regulated private actors. DÁP reduces physical administration by replacing in‑person visits and paper workflows with high‑assurance mobile identification, qualified electronic signatures, and certified, consent‑based data sharing, all accessible through a single, intuitive interface.
The application provides wallet‑grade digital identity functionality, supporting authentication, legally binding transactions, and verified data exchange directly from smartphones. In doing so, it operationalises the Digital Citizenship Programme and enables seamless interoperability across public institutions and regulated private actors through shared APIs, a common design system and central governance standards, ensuring consistent end‑to‑end implementation and user experience nationwide.
From the outset, measurable adoption targets were defined, with a baseline of 300 000 active users annually. Uptake has exceeded this target, validating the model. By concentrating reform outcomes into a widely used citizen‑facing application, the project delivers immediate public value while establishing a scalable foundation for future digital services and EU‑level interoperability.
Implementation
DÁP was delivered as a coordinated, multi‑stream programme centred on the mobile app as the primary and most widely used citizen channel. Beyond serving as a technical interface, the mobile app became proof that user‑driven digital services can be designed and delivered at scale, structured around both life events – specific moments triggering administrative needs, such as the birth of a child or the start of employment – and broader life situations, referring to longer phases in citizens’ lives, for example becoming a parent or transitioning into retirement. This approach ensures services reflect real needs rather than institutional structures.
Governance combined product, architecture, and delivery leadership at solution level, supported by a scaled agile operating model aligning strategy, planning, and execution across streams. Under the DÁP solution model, more than 200 contributors operated as a single delivery organisation with synchronised sprint cycles, enabling coordinated releases and rapid resolution of cross‑stream dependencies.
Prioritisation trade‑offs were resolved through structured cross‑organisation alignment and escalation forums, while operational readiness and citizen feedback were embedded early, allowing the mobile app to evolve continuously based on real usage while preserving security, reliability, and public trust.