National Identity Card (CNI)

• 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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

The National Identity Card (CNI) is valid for 10 years.

However, it may still be valid 5 years after the expiry date, depending on your situation:

• You were a legal adult when it was issued.
• The card was still valid on 1 January 2014.

For more details on how long your ID is valid, please read this articleon the Service Public website.

Your application will not be processed until you have visited the municipal government office.

 

Making an appointment there is what is needed after your pre-application in order for your application to be processed.

Applying for a National Identity Card is free.

 

If you fail to present your National Identity Card for renewal, you will be required to pay a stamp duty of €25.

No, the two documents may be received by your municipal government office at different times.

 

This means you will be able to pick up each one individually, using the same pre-application number, as soon as you receive the text message informing you that the document in question is available there.

You will receive a single text message confirming your request. This text will contain a single application number, which will enable you to collect both documents as soon as they are available from the municipal government office.

No, you can do both from your account.

 

You are prompted to choose between:

• “passport”
• “identity card”
• "passport and identity card" (double application)

during the first pre-application step.

As the National Identity Card is smaller, and many of the details are compulsory, some fields had to be reduced in size, such as customary name and place of birth.

 

The last name at birth is compulsory, unlike the customary name, which is why it is written in a larger font.

 

This information therefore cannot be modified.