The National Identity Card gets a new look!
07/10/24
On 15 March 2021, a new "credit-card-sized" identity card began coming into circulation in France.
As of 2 August 2021, all French citizens applying for a new identity card are being issued a card in the new format.
Don't have a valid ID card?
There is no need to apply for early renewal of the card you currently hold.
You can continue to use it under the same conditions until the expiry date shown on the back of your card.
In 2014, the validity of all French ID cards was extended by 5 years.
As a result, if it says on your card that it expires in 2021, 2022 or 2023 and you were born before 1995, your card's validity has been extended.
Why is the format of the identity card changing in 2021?
Protecting identity is one of the Ministry of the Interior's core missions.
Over the last 3 years, France has been modernising its identity cards, the current format of which dates back to 1995.
The new card is more secure, more practical and has a modernised design. It is in ID-1 format, the size of a credit card, like a driving licence.
This desire for modernisation has been combined with the application of Regulation (EU) 2019/1157 of the European Parliament and of the Council on strengthening the security of identity cards of Union citizens and of residence documents issued to Union citizens and their family members exercising their right of free movement.
This regulation, adopted on 20 June 2019, requires Member States to bring into circulation new identity cards that comply with the provisions of the regulation by no later than 2 August 2021.
What will the new ID card format allow that the previous one did not?
The main purpose of the identity card remains unchanged. It enables the holder to prove their identity.
- It is first and foremost an identity document, which is more secure and practical and fits easily into a wallet.
- Its secondary use is as a travel document, with some countries (EU and non-EU) accepting it in the same way as a passport.
- The information on the identity card is changing. You will no longer be able to use a nickname. The prefect's signature has also been removed. However, for minors with shared residences, it will now be possible to show two home addresses.
- It also contains a number of new security features to more effectively combat identity theft and falsification.
What does the new identity card look like?
Any other questions? Find your answers in our FAQ
- Are you looking to renew your identity card? See what to do
- Are you applying for an identity card for the first time? See what to do
The National Identity Card gets a new look!
07/10/24
On 15 March 2021, a new "credit-card-sized" identity card began coming into circulation in France.
As of 2 August 2021, all French citizens applying for a new identity card are being issued a card in the new format.
Don't have a valid ID card?
There is no need to apply for early renewal of the card you currently hold.
You can continue to use it under the same conditions until the expiry date shown on the back of your card.
In 2014, the validity of all French ID cards was extended by 5 years.
As a result, if it says on your card that it expires in 2021, 2022 or 2023 and you were born before 1995, your card's validity has been extended.
Why is the format of the identity card changing in 2021?
Protecting identity is one of the Ministry of the Interior's core missions.
Over the last 3 years, France has been modernising its identity cards, the current format of which dates back to 1995.
The new card is more secure, more practical and has a modernised design. It is in ID-1 format, the size of a credit card, like a driving licence.
This desire for modernisation has been combined with the application of Regulation (EU) 2019/1157 of the European Parliament and of the Council on strengthening the security of identity cards of Union citizens and of residence documents issued to Union citizens and their family members exercising their right of free movement.
This regulation, adopted on 20 June 2019, requires Member States to bring into circulation new identity cards that comply with the provisions of the regulation by no later than 2 August 2021.
What will the new ID card format allow that the previous one did not?
The main purpose of the identity card remains unchanged. It enables the holder to prove their identity.
- It is first and foremost an identity document, which is more secure and practical and fits easily into a wallet.
- Its secondary use is as a travel document, with some countries (EU and non-EU) accepting it in the same way as a passport.
- The information on the identity card is changing. You will no longer be able to use a nickname. The prefect's signature has also been removed. However, for minors with shared residences, it will now be possible to show two home addresses.
- It also contains a number of new security features to more effectively combat identity theft and falsification.
What does the new identity card look like?
Any other questions? Find your answers in our FAQ
- Are you looking to renew your identity card? See what to do
- Are you applying for an identity card for the first time? See what to do