Italy’s paper identity cards will stop being valid for international travel on August 3, regardless of the expiry date printed on the document, creating a firm transition point for citizens who still rely on the older credential.
The rule follows Decree-Law No. 108 of June 26. After the cutoff, travelers will need another accepted document, normally a passport or Italy’s electronic identity card, known as the Carta d’Identità Elettronica or CIE.
A paper card that has not otherwise expired will retain a narrower function. It may continue to identify its holder in dealings with Italian public administration and providers of public services, including Italian consular offices, but it will no longer serve as a border-crossing credential.
Municipalities may issue a temporary identity document for international travel in urgent cases. That document cannot be renewed and may be valid for no more than six months, making it an emergency bridge rather than a replacement for regular CIE or passport issuance.
The change also affects Italians living abroad. Since June 1, citizens registered with AIRE, the Registry of Italians Resident Abroad, have been able to apply for a CIE at any Italian municipality under Law No. 11 of January 19. The Italian Embassy in Singapore is also continuing to offer CIE appointments.
The travel deadline is separate from Italy’s broader online authentication transition. The country has been placing more weight on CIE and IT Wallet as some SPID providers introduce paid service paths. That shift concerns access to digital services, while the August rule changes where a physical paper card is legally accepted.
CIE is also distinct from the European Digital Identity Wallet that EU member states are preparing under eIDAS 2.0. National implementations are moving through testing and procurement, including Lithuania’s EUDI Wallet sandbox, but those programs do not extend the international travel status of an expiring national paper credential.
The printed expiry date no longer settles the card’s travel status. A paper card showing validity beyond August 3 will still lose its travel function on that date. Citizens planning cross-border trips therefore need to check the document type, not only the expiration field, and allow time to obtain a CIE or passport.
Sources: Embassy of Italy in Singapore
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
