Certificates in swiyu: what Swiss schools need to know.
Issuing certificates into swiyu means that an institution appears in the federal wallet under its own verified name and signs its credentials itself. The Confederation runs the wallet and the trust infrastructure; everything that issues, withdraws and maintains the credentials is run by the institution or by a provider on its behalf. Most of the work for a school is not technical but organisational: which certificates, who may sign them, and how learners are brought on board.
Who does what
The Confederation operates the swiyu wallet and the trust infrastructure behind it, and states that it supports other authorities and organisations in issuing electronic credentials. It does not issue on an institution’s behalf. Issuing, withdrawing and maintaining credentials stays with the issuer, or with a provider that operates this side for it.
What your institution decides
- Which certificates come first, for example course certificates, CAS diplomas or micro-credentials.
- Who in the institution may authorise issuing and withdrawing credentials.
- What each credential states, and which details learners can share on their own.
- How learners are informed and supported when they set up the wallet for the first time.
- How employers and other institutions will check the credentials.
What runs behind a credential
Behind every credential in swiyu sit a verified issuer identity, signing keys that have to be protected like an official seal, an issuing service that is available whenever learners claim their credentials, and a published status for withdrawals. All of it has to be operated, secured and kept current while the swiyu specifications continue to evolve. For most schools this is not where they want to build expertise.
Where SAPIO fits
SAPIO operates the issuing infrastructure for institutions and accompanies them through onboarding and credential design, so that a school can focus on the decisions above. In October 2026 SAPIO issued its first verifiable credential to the swiyu wallet in the federal sandbox, from its own identity registered in the swiyu trust infrastructure.
Questions
Can a private school or training provider issue into swiyu?
The Confederation states that it operates the trust infrastructure and supports other authorities and organisations in issuing electronic credentials. The infrastructure currently runs as a public beta; the conditions for issuers are set by the Confederation.
Do we need our own IT team for it?
No. A provider such as SAPIO operates the issuing side; the institution decides what it issues, to whom and when.
Is a credential issued to swiyu also usable in the EU?
swiyu and the EU Digital Identity Wallet build on the same family of standards: SD-JWT VC, OpenID4VCI and OpenID4VP. Whether a verifier in the EU accepts a Swiss credential depends on whom it trusts. Designing the content with the European Learning Model keeps it readable on both sides.