ID Card: New format

• The new national identity card is smaller and in "credit-card-sized" format, which is more practical as it fits easily into a wallet.
• It is sturdier, made of polycarbonate, designed to be used for 10 years while ensuring that the information on the ID card is always legible.
• It also contains a number of new security features to combat identity theft and falsification.
• 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.
• An electronic component has been added to the card, containing a digital copy of the ID photo and the digitised image of the cardholder's fingerprints.
• It also has a visible electronic seal: A barcode containing the electronically signed last and first name and document number, which can be read by any smartphone reader, but which only certain specific readers can authenticate.
• Finally, it is a more inclusive identity card for visually impaired people. Raised "RF" elements make it easier to distinguish between two cards of the same size.

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 will be more secure, more practical and has a modernised design.

 
The European 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. It provides for renewal within 10 years.

 

This seems a reasonable timeframe, and will allow all existing identity cards to be gradually renewed.

 

The process of collection, review, and delivery is subject to essential security rules to combat fraud and identity theft. This process should not be needlessly rushed, which makes the 10-year period helpful.

 

This is also how long the card is valid for, and will enable a new renewal schedule to be put in place for the entire French population.

No, the new identity card in no way replaces a biometric passport.

 

However, it is possible to travel in Europe within the Schengen area and in certain other countries, using only your identity card. For more information before you leave, visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

 

On the other hand, if you have an ID card in the new format, you will be able to pass through border controls more easily within the European Union (particularly under the Parafe system).

Effective 2 August 2021, all French citizens applying for a new identity card will be issued the “credit-card-sized” one.
 
In France, there is no legal requirement to apply for an identity card. Nevertheless, it makes everyday life a lot easier and may be required in certain cases, such as for air travel.

 

If you don't need it straight away, we suggest you wait a few months before you receive a smaller, sturdier, more secure identity card.

 

However, if this is not possible, please note that ID cards in old formats can still be used under the same conditions after 2 August until the end of the validity period shown on the back of your card. 

Effective August 2031, old-format ID cards that are still valid will no longer be recognised internationally, so you will no longer be able to use them to travel within Europe or abroad. However, they will still allow you to prove your identity in France.

 

It will not be possible to apply for early renewal of your identity card at a later date for the sole purpose of obtaining an ID card in the new format. You can only apply to renew your card if:

• it has expired, or
• it has been lost or stolen, or
• it has been damaged, or
• your marital status has changed, or
• your address has changed.

 

Would you like to know whether the authorised municipal offices in your département are already issuing ID cards in the new format?

 

Get the answer to the question:

"Will I get a new-format ID card if I apply in my département?

Effective 2 August 2021, all French citizens applying for a new identity card will be issued the “credit-card-sized” one.
 
In France, there is no legal requirement to apply for an identity card. Nevertheless, it makes everyday life a lot easier and may be required in certain cases, such as for air travel.

 

If you don't need it straight away, we suggest you wait a few months before you receive a smaller, sturdier, more secure identity card.

 

However, if this is not possible, please note that ID cards in old formats can still be used under the same conditions after 2 August until the end of the validity period shown on the back of your card. 

Effective August 2031, old-format ID cards that are still valid will no longer be recognised internationally, so you will no longer be able to use them to travel within Europe or abroad. However, they will still allow you to prove your identity in France.

 

It will not be possible to apply for early renewal of your identity card at a later date for the sole purpose of obtaining an ID card in the new format. You can only apply to renew your card if:

• it has expired, or
• it has been lost or stolen, or
• it has been damaged, or
• your marital status has changed, or
• your address has changed.

As of 2 August 2021, all users wishing to be issued an identity card or to renew their expired identity card will receive the new card.

It will not be possible to apply for early renewal of your identity card for the sole purpose of obtaining an ID card in the new format. You can only apply to renew your card for the usual reasons:

• it has expired, or
• it has been lost or stolen, or
• it has been damaged, or
• your marital status has changed, or
• your address has changed.

 

If you fail to present your national identity card (loss or theft) for renewal, you will be required to pay a stamp duty set at €25.

The procedure for applying for a new identity card remains unchanged. As with a passport application, you must go to an authorised municipal government office to apply.

 

If you wish, you can file a pre-application online beforehand on the ANTS website, so that you can fill our your details in advance and save time when you go to the municipal office. You will then have to go to that office to finish filing your application and have your fingerprints collected.  Most municipal offices require you to make an appointment.
 
The time taken to issue the document after submitting your application varies, from 7 to 21 days on average.

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. You will receive an identity card in the new format the next time you apply for an identity card.

Effective August 2031, old-format ID cards that are still valid will no longer be recognised internationally, so you will no longer be able to use them to travel within Europe or abroad.

 

However, they will still allow you to prove your identity in France.

The provisions of Article 4 of the European Regulation govern the validity periods of identity cards issued by the Member States. It is for a minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 10 years.
 
The period chosen by France is 10 years, whether the holder of the identity card is an adult or a minor.

Applying for a new national identity card remains a free public service, as does renewing your card, provided you are able to present your old one at the municipal government office.

 
If you fail to present your national identity card (loss or theft) for renewal, you will be required to pay a stamp duty set at €25.

The chip (a highly secure technology containing the information printed on the card as well as the holder's photograph and two of their fingerprints contained in the card) makes it easier to cross borders within the European Union (particularly under the Parafe system).

 

This makes it possible to improve the fight against identity theft and document fraud, by checking that the data written on the card matches the data on the chip.
 

However, the electronic component will not allow the ID card to be geolocated. Use of the chip cannot be tracked by the government.

No.

As with the passport, any user aged 12 or over wishing to be issued a National Identity Card will have to agree to have their fingerprints scanned so that they can be placed into the chip in digital form. As the European regulation makes it compulsory to record the image of fingerprints on the card chip, the fingerprints must be scanned before the card can be produced.
 
However, you do have the option of objecting to the storage of the digitised image of your fingerprints in a national database, in this case the Secure Electronic Documents (TES) file.

Storing fingerprints in the electronic component of the identity card is a requirement of the European regulation that helps to secure the document and protect the identity of its holder.

 

By enabling the relevant authorities to authenticate the bearer of the document, storing fingerprints in the National Identity Card’s chip helps to combat identity fraud, just as is currently done for passports, and facilitates certain border crossings.

The TES file is a database used by the authorities responsible for issuing identity cards and passports.

 
This file is used to store the personal data of National Identity Card and passport holders in a secure manner, making it easier and more secure to renew them. Its implementation has modernised the issuing procedure, making it possible to digitise a large number of paper documents and transmit them securely between the various parties involved in the issuing procedure.

 
By doing so, the introduction of the TES file has also helped to reduce issuing times.

Identity theft can be committed even if you don't have your card on you.

 

We strongly recommend that you adopt certain best practices to protect yourself from the risk of your identity being stolen:

• Don't leave documents containing personal information lying around, such as invoices, pay slips, etc.
• On the Internet, never transmit identity data if the site is not secure. By publishing an image of your ID card on social media or allowing an app to take a photo of it, you are already entrusting your identity data to a third party.
• The loss or theft of an ID card can have serious consequences for people's daily lives, and encourages identity theft. So be careful with your ID card! In the event it is lost or stolen, remember to report it promptly to the authorities. You can declare the loss of your ID card at the municipal government office when you apply to renew it. If you do not intend to renew your card or if it has been stolen, go to the gendarmerie, the police station, or the consulate if you are abroad.

To be sure of the identity of the holder of the identity card, ask for the original card and not just a photocopy.

 

The new identity card features security features to help detect forged or altered cards, which are not being disclosed to the general public at this stage of the roll-out.

European regulation provides for renewal within 10 years.

 

This seems a reasonable timeframe, and will allow all existing National Identity Cards to be gradually renewed.

 

The process of collection, review, and delivery is subject to essential security rules to combat fraud and identity theft. This process should not be needlessly rushed, which makes the 10-year period helpful.

 

This is also how long the card is valid for, and will enable a new renewal schedule to be put in place for the entire French population.

The new identity card has many uses:

• it is first and foremost an identity document, which is more secure and practical and fits easily into a wallet.
• it is also a travel document, particularly in Europe. The inclusion of a microchip in the CNI will make it easier to cross borders (particularly as part of the Parafe system).

As with other secure documents (passport, residence permit), it is planned that the chip in the identity card will eventually be used to securely identify oneself to various identity providers.

The design of the new identity card was overseen by the Department of Public Liberties and Legal Affairs and the National Agency for Secure Documents (ANTS).

Production of the new identity card will be entrusted to the Imprimerie Nationale (national print office), which is already responsible for producing French passports.

Beginning 15 March 2021, a new "credit-card-sized" identity card will gradually come into circulation in France.

 

As of 2 August 2021, all French citizens applying for a new identity card will be issued a card in the new format.

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 will be more secure, more practical and has a modernised design.

This seems a reasonable timeframe, and will allow all existing National Identity Cards to be gradually renewed.

 

The process of collection, review, and delivery is subject to essential security rules to combat fraud and identity theft. This process should not be needlessly rushed, which makes the 10-year period helpful.

 

This is also how long the card is valid for, and will enable a new renewal schedule to be put in place for the entire French population.