Final few months to swap paper carta d’identità for electronic version.
Italian residents still holding paper identity cards have until 3 August 2026 to replace them, after which the documents will no longer be legally valid – even if they have not yet reached their printed expiry date.
From 3 August, the paper card will cease to function as a valid identity document in any context, including as for travel purposes either domestically or abroad, Italy’s interior ministry has confirmed.
The ministry is advising people with paper ID cards to book an appointment to renew their document “well in advance”, saying that “this will avoid congestion near the deadline and organisational bottlenecks, particularly around summer holidays.”
The carta d’identità is used predominantly to verify the holder’s identity during bureaucratic procedures at public administration offices or on other occasions when they need to show their ID.
Until recently, Italian citizens could also use the identity card to fly in Italy and within Europe’s Schengen border-free travel area, however this was scrapped in July, with air travellers now required to just show their boarding pass.
Phasing out paper
The change is required under EU regulations which obliges all member states to phase out identity documents that do not meet European security standards.
The electronic identity card (CIE) can be requested by appointment at the anagrafe (registry office) of one’s local municipality, or at an Italian consulate for citizens residing abroad.
Applicants must bring a recent passport photograph, their tax code (codice fiscale), and their existing paper card (or another valid document if it has been lost or stolen). The cost is €22.21, though this may vary slightly depending on local administrative fees.
Validity periods for the new card are three years for children under three, five years for those aged three to 18, and 10 years for adults.
Under newly approved rules, citizens over 70 whose card is issued after 30 July 2026 will receive a document with no expiry date.
The CIE also functions as a digital identity tool: it can be used to authenticate access to public services online, and is expected to gradually replace SPID, Italy’s existing digital identity system.
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