diff --git a/examples/0_basic/6_create_vp.rs b/examples/0_basic/6_create_vp.rs
index 3dfade3a5f..2597ade733 100644
--- a/examples/0_basic/6_create_vp.rs
+++ b/examples/0_basic/6_create_vp.rs
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ use std::collections::HashMap;
 use examples::create_did;
 use examples::MemStorage;
 use identity_iota::core::Object;
-use identity_iota::core::OneOrMany;
 use identity_iota::credential::DecodedJwtCredential;
 use identity_iota::credential::DecodedJwtPresentation;
 use identity_iota::credential::Jwt;
@@ -201,7 +200,7 @@ async fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     JwtPresentationValidator::new().validate(&presentation_jwt, &holder, &presentation_validation_options)?;
 
   // Concurrently resolve the issuers' documents.
-  let jwt_credentials: &OneOrMany<Jwt> = &presentation.presentation.verifiable_credential;
+  let jwt_credentials: &Vec<Jwt> = &presentation.presentation.verifiable_credential;
   let issuers: Vec<CoreDID> = jwt_credentials
     .iter()
     .map(JwtCredentialValidator::extract_issuer_from_jwt)
diff --git a/identity_credential/src/error.rs b/identity_credential/src/error.rs
index daa93a5139..356d89d3d2 100644
--- a/identity_credential/src/error.rs
+++ b/identity_credential/src/error.rs
@@ -45,6 +45,11 @@ pub enum Error {
   #[error("could not convert JWT to the VC data model: {0}")]
   InconsistentCredentialJwtClaims(&'static str),
 
+  /// Caused when deserializing a Presentation with an empty array for the
+  /// `verifiableCredential` property.
+  #[error("empty verifiableCredential array in presentation")]
+  EmptyVerifiableCredentialArray,
+
   /// Caused when attempting to convert a JWT to a `Presentation` that has conflicting values
   /// between the registered claims and those in the `vp` object.
   #[error("could not convert JWT to the VP data model: {0}")]
diff --git a/identity_credential/src/presentation/jwt_serialization.rs b/identity_credential/src/presentation/jwt_serialization.rs
index 28625f0468..5122edc420 100644
--- a/identity_credential/src/presentation/jwt_serialization.rs
+++ b/identity_credential/src/presentation/jwt_serialization.rs
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ where
   types: Cow<'presentation, OneOrMany<String>>,
   /// Credential(s) expressing the claims of the `Presentation`.
   #[serde(default = "Default::default", rename = "verifiableCredential")]
-  pub(crate) verifiable_credential: Cow<'presentation, OneOrMany<CRED>>,
+  pub(crate) verifiable_credential: Cow<'presentation, Vec<CRED>>,
   /// Service(s) used to refresh an expired [`Credential`] in the `Presentation`.
   #[serde(default, rename = "refreshService", skip_serializing_if = "OneOrMany::is_empty")]
   refresh_service: Cow<'presentation, OneOrMany<RefreshService>>,
diff --git a/identity_credential/src/presentation/presentation.rs b/identity_credential/src/presentation/presentation.rs
index 2a4f1c4a59..1f1eb7d376 100644
--- a/identity_credential/src/presentation/presentation.rs
+++ b/identity_credential/src/presentation/presentation.rs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 use core::fmt::Display;
 use core::fmt::Formatter;
 
+use serde::de;
 use serde::Deserialize;
 use serde::Serialize;
 
@@ -38,8 +39,9 @@ pub struct Presentation<CRED, T = Object> {
   #[serde(rename = "type")]
   pub types: OneOrMany<String>,
   /// Credential(s) expressing the claims of the `Presentation`.
-  #[serde(default = "Default::default", rename = "verifiableCredential")]
-  pub verifiable_credential: OneOrMany<CRED>,
+  #[rustfmt::skip]
+  #[serde(default = "Default::default", rename = "verifiableCredential", skip_serializing_if = "Vec::is_empty", deserialize_with = "deserialize_verifiable_credential", bound(deserialize = "CRED: serde::de::DeserializeOwned"))]
+  pub verifiable_credential: Vec<CRED>,
   /// The entity that generated the `Presentation`.
   pub holder: Url,
   /// Service(s) used to refresh an expired [`Credential`] in the `Presentation`.
@@ -56,6 +58,18 @@ pub struct Presentation<CRED, T = Object> {
   pub proof: Option<Proof>,
 }
 
+/// Deserializes a `Vec<T>` while ensuring that it is not empty.
+fn deserialize_verifiable_credential<'de, T: Deserialize<'de>, D>(deserializer: D) -> Result<Vec<T>, D::Error>
+where
+  D: de::Deserializer<'de>,
+{
+  let verifiable_credentials = Vec::<T>::deserialize(deserializer)?;
+
+  (!verifiable_credentials.is_empty())
+    .then_some(verifiable_credentials)
+    .ok_or_else(|| de::Error::custom(Error::EmptyVerifiableCredentialArray))
+}
+
 impl<CRED, T> Presentation<CRED, T> {
   /// Returns the base JSON-LD context for `Presentation`s.
   pub fn base_context() -> &'static Context {
@@ -80,7 +94,7 @@ impl<CRED, T> Presentation<CRED, T> {
       context: builder.context.into(),
       id: builder.id,
       types: builder.types.into(),
-      verifiable_credential: builder.credentials.into(),
+      verifiable_credential: builder.credentials,
       holder: builder.holder,
       refresh_service: builder.refresh_service.into(),
       terms_of_use: builder.terms_of_use.into(),
@@ -143,3 +157,94 @@ where
     self.fmt_json(f)
   }
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+  use serde_json::json;
+  use std::error::Error;
+
+  use identity_core::common::Object;
+  use identity_core::convert::FromJson;
+
+  use crate::presentation::Presentation;
+
+  #[test]
+  fn test_presentation_deserialization() {
+    // Example verifiable presentation taken from:
+    // https://www.w3.org/TR/vc-data-model/#example-a-simple-example-of-a-verifiable-presentation
+    // with some minor adjustments (adding the `holder` property and shortening the 'jws' values).
+    assert!(Presentation::<Object>::from_json_value(json!({
+      "@context": [
+        "https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/v1",
+        "https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/examples/v1"
+      ],
+      "holder": "did:test:abc1",
+      "type": "VerifiablePresentation",
+      "verifiableCredential": [{
+        "@context": [
+          "https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/v1",
+          "https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/examples/v1"
+        ],
+        "id": "http://example.edu/credentials/1872",
+        "type": ["VerifiableCredential", "AlumniCredential"],
+        "issuer": "https://example.edu/issuers/565049",
+        "issuanceDate": "2010-01-01T19:23:24Z",
+        "credentialSubject": {
+          "id": "did:example:ebfeb1f712ebc6f1c276e12ec21",
+          "alumniOf": {
+            "id": "did:example:c276e12ec21ebfeb1f712ebc6f1",
+            "name": [{
+              "value": "Example University",
+              "lang": "en"
+            }, {
+              "value": "Exemple d'Université",
+              "lang": "fr"
+            }]
+          }
+        },
+        "proof": {
+          "type": "RsaSignature2018",
+          "created": "2017-06-18T21:19:10Z",
+          "proofPurpose": "assertionMethod",
+          "verificationMethod": "https://example.edu/issuers/565049#key-1",
+          "jws": "eyJhb...dBBPM"
+        }
+      }],
+    }))
+    .is_ok());
+  }
+
+  #[test]
+  fn test_presentation_deserialization_without_credentials() {
+    // Deserializing a Presentation without `verifiableCredential' property is allowed.
+    assert!(Presentation::<()>::from_json_value(json!({
+      "@context": [
+        "https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/v1",
+        "https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/examples/v1"
+      ],
+      "holder": "did:test:abc1",
+      "type": "VerifiablePresentation"
+    }))
+    .is_ok());
+  }
+
+  #[test]
+  fn test_presentation_deserialization_with_empty_credential_array() {
+    assert_eq!(
+      Presentation::<()>::from_json_value(json!({
+        "@context": [
+          "https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/v1",
+          "https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/examples/v1"
+        ],
+        "holder": "did:test:abc1",
+        "type": "VerifiablePresentation",
+        "verifiableCredential": []
+      }))
+      .unwrap_err()
+      .source()
+      .unwrap()
+      .to_string(),
+      crate::error::Error::EmptyVerifiableCredentialArray.to_string()
+    );
+  }
+}
diff --git a/identity_credential/src/presentation/presentation_builder.rs b/identity_credential/src/presentation/presentation_builder.rs
index e6c750b42d..3831ad472f 100644
--- a/identity_credential/src/presentation/presentation_builder.rs
+++ b/identity_credential/src/presentation/presentation_builder.rs
@@ -174,4 +174,22 @@ mod tests {
     assert_eq!(presentation.types.get(1).unwrap(), "ExamplePresentation");
     assert_eq!(presentation.verifiable_credential.len(), 1);
   }
+
+  #[test]
+  fn test_presentation_builder_valid_without_credentials() {
+    let presentation: Presentation<Jwt> = PresentationBuilder::new(Url::parse("did:test:abc1").unwrap(), Object::new())
+      .type_("ExamplePresentation")
+      .build()
+      .unwrap();
+
+    assert_eq!(presentation.context.len(), 1);
+    assert_eq!(
+      presentation.context.get(0).unwrap(),
+      Presentation::<Object>::base_context()
+    );
+    assert_eq!(presentation.types.len(), 2);
+    assert_eq!(presentation.types.get(0).unwrap(), Presentation::<Object>::base_type());
+    assert_eq!(presentation.types.get(1).unwrap(), "ExamplePresentation");
+    assert_eq!(presentation.verifiable_credential.len(), 0);
+  }
 }