National identity cards in the European Economic Area and Switzerland
Identity cards issued by member states of the European Economic Area / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The national identity cards are identity documents issued to citizens of nations in the European Union (EU) and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) member states, with the exception of Denmark[3] and Ireland.[4] The identity cards have been harmonized as a new common identity card model replaced the various formats in use on 2 August 2021.
National identity card | |
---|---|
Type | Identity card |
Issued by | Member states of the European Union and European Free Trade Association |
First issued | 2 August 2021 (new EU-standard) |
In circulation | 53 million (2023, new EU-standard)[1] ~200 million (total)[2] |
Eligibility | Citizens of the European Union and European Free Trade Association |
Expiration | New cards: Maximum 10 years Non-MRZ: 2 Aug 2026 |
Size | ID-1 |
There are approximately 200 million national identity cards in use in the EU/EFTA, including 53 million of the new EU-standard cards.[1] They are compulsory in 15 EU/EFTA countries, voluntary in 11 countries and in 5 countries they are semi-compulsory (some form of identification required). Where the card is compulsory, in some member countries it is required to be carried at all times, while in other countries the mere possession of the card is sufficient.[5]
Citizens holding a national identity card, which states the bearers citizenship belonging to an EU/EFTA member can use it as an identity document within their home country, and as a travel document to exercise the right of free movement in the EU or EFTA.[6]:āArticles 4 and 5ā[7][8] However, identity cards that do not state the bearers citizenship belonging to an EU/EFTA member state are not valid as travel documents within the EU and EFTA.[9][10][11]