An EU identity card is a credit-card-sized national ID issued by your own EU country of citizenship that proves who you are and lets you travel across the European Union and the Schengen Area without a passport. It also works as everyday identification for banking, employment, and dealings with public authorities anywhere in the bloc. Since Regulation (EU) 2019/1157 took effect, every newly issued card meets uniform security standards, including a contactless chip storing your photo and fingerprints.1EUR-Lex. Regulation (EU) 2019/1157 – Strengthening the Security of Identity Cards of Union Citizens
Who Can Get One
You need to be a citizen of an EU member state. The card is issued by your own country’s authorities, not by any central EU body, so the process, fees, and specific rules differ depending on where you hold citizenship. People born in a member state and those who have naturalized both qualify.
Nearly every member state issues an identity card. Denmark does not issue a national identity card at all. Ireland issues a passport card rather than a traditional identity card, though it serves a comparable function for travel within Europe.1EUR-Lex. Regulation (EU) 2019/1157 – Strengthening the Security of Identity Cards of Union Citizens
In roughly half of member states, carrying an identity card is legally mandatory once you reach a certain age. That age varies: Belgium and Cyprus require one from age 12, Germany from 16, Poland and Slovenia from 18. In countries like Austria and Sweden the card is optional. If you hold dual citizenship in two EU countries, you can generally choose which country’s card to carry, provided you meet that country’s registration requirements.
How to Apply
You apply in person at a municipal office, police station, or dedicated document centre in your country of citizenship. Officials capture your biometrics on the spot and verify your documents.
Most countries ask for an original birth certificate or your current passport (even if expiring) to confirm citizenship. You will need a recent biometric photograph that meets strict standards for lighting, background, and head positioning, though some countries take the photo on-site during your appointment. Certain member states also require proof of your current address, such as a utility bill or lease. If you have recently moved, a deregistration certificate from your previous municipality may be needed. Application forms are usually available at the office or through a government website.
Get the paperwork right the first time. Any mismatch between your documents and the civil registry can send you home for a second appointment.
Applying From Abroad
Whether you can renew or apply at an embassy or consulate depends entirely on your country of citizenship. Portugal, Hungary, and Latvia allow consular renewal. Italy limits consular issuance to embassies within the EU. Spain and Poland require you to return home for a new card. If you live abroad, check with your national consulate before making travel plans around a renewal.
Fees and Processing Times
Fees vary widely by country. Estonia charges €45 for a standard adult card, with a reduced €20 fee for retirees and people with disabilities.2Police and Border Guard Board. ID Card for an EU Citizen – Submitting an Application at a Service Office Germany charges €70.60 for applicants under 24 and €89 for those 24 and older when applying through a consulate.3Federal Foreign Office. Fees for German Passports and Identity Cards Expect a range of roughly €20 to €90 depending on your nationality and age. Some countries add fees for expedited processing or for replacing a lost or stolen card.
Production generally takes two to four weeks. You will get a notification by mail or electronically when the card is ready. At collection, many countries hand you a sealed envelope containing PIN and PUK codes that activate the card’s electronic functions, such as digital signing and online authentication.4Pilsonības un migrācijas lietu pārvalde. What Are PIN Codes and to Change Them A digitally signed document carries the same legal weight as a handwritten signature, so guard those codes carefully.
Validity and Renewal
Regulation 2019/1157 sets a floor and a ceiling: identity cards must be valid for at least five years and no more than ten. Member states can issue shorter-validity cards to minors and cards valid for longer than ten years to holders aged 70 or older.1EUR-Lex. Regulation (EU) 2019/1157 – Strengthening the Security of Identity Cards of Union Citizens
The specific validity depends on your country and your age at issuance. Germany, for example, issues cards valid for six years to people under 24 and ten years to those 24 and older. Across Europe the pattern is consistent: shorter durations for younger holders whose appearance changes quickly, and longer durations for adults.
Renewal follows essentially the same process as a first application, with new biometric data and updated photographs. If your card is still valid, some countries let you renew a few months before expiration. If it has already expired, you may face restrictions on travel until the new one arrives. For minors, a parent or guardian must consent, with the age threshold for independent application ranging from 15 to 18 depending on the country.
Traveling With Your Identity Card
Your card functions as a full travel document for crossing borders within the EU. Directive 2004/38/EC guarantees every EU citizen the right to leave their home country and enter any other member state with either a valid identity card or a passport.5EFTA Secretariat. Directive 2004/38/EC – Right of Citizens of the Union and Their Family Members to Move and Reside Freely No member state can refuse entry to someone presenting a valid EU identity card.
Within the Schengen Area there are no routine border checks. You can fly from Lisbon to Vienna or take a train from Paris to Amsterdam without passing through passport control. Random police checks still happen, and authorities can ask you to prove your identity at any time. A driving licence will not satisfy this. Carry your card whenever you travel, even on routes where you don’t expect to be checked.
Beyond travel, the card gives you access to the full range of free-movement rights: taking a job, registering residency, opening a bank account, or dealing with tax and social security offices in any member state. Public authorities across the EU must accept it as valid identification.6European Commission. Free Movement and Residence
Outside the EU
The card also works as a travel document in several non-EU countries. The four EFTA states that participate in the Schengen Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland) accept a valid national identity card for entry on the same terms as any EU member state.7European Union. Travel Documents for EU Nationals
Several countries in the Western Balkans and around the Mediterranean also accept identity cards from certain member states. Turkey, Albania, Georgia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia are commonly cited examples. Which cards each country accepts can depend on the issuing member state and may change, so verify the entry requirements with the destination country’s foreign ministry before traveling on an identity card alone. For any non-EU country not covered by a specific agreement, you will need a passport.
The United Kingdom
Since Brexit, the UK no longer accepts EU identity cards for general entry. You need a valid passport to visit. One exception: if you hold settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, a frontier worker permit, or S2 Healthcare Visitor status, you can still enter the UK with your identity card. The same applies if you have a pending Settlement Scheme application with confirmed validity.8GOV.UK. Visiting the UK as an EU, EEA or Swiss Citizen If you don’t fall into one of those categories, pack your passport.
What the Card Looks Like
Every card issued since August 2021 follows the same basic format under Regulation (EU) 2019/1157. It is the size of a standard credit card (ID-1 format) with a machine-readable zone along the bottom. The front displays your country’s two-letter code inside a blue rectangle surrounded by twelve yellow stars, and the words “Identity card” appear in the issuing country’s language and at least one other official EU language. A contactless chip inside stores your facial image and two fingerprints. Children under six are exempt from the fingerprint requirement, and member states may exempt children under twelve.1EUR-Lex. Regulation (EU) 2019/1157 – Strengthening the Security of Identity Cards of Union Citizens Older cards that don’t meet these standards are being phased out.
Non-EU Family Members
If your spouse, partner, or dependent family member is not an EU national, they do not receive an EU identity card. They can instead apply for a residence card in the member state where you live together. That card is valid for five years or the planned length of stay, whichever is shorter.9Your Europe. Registering Presence of Non-EU Family Members
A residence card allows your non-EU family member to travel to other EU countries but does not replace a passport. They still need their own valid passport for border crossings, and if you move to a different member state together, they must apply for a new residence card there. The residence right depends on the EU citizen; if you are not moving with them, they generally cannot claim free-movement rights on their own.
If Your Card Is Lost or Stolen Abroad
Losing your identity card while traveling outside the EU is stressful but manageable. If your own country has an embassy or consulate nearby, contact them first. If it does not, you have a right under EU law to seek help from the embassy or consulate of any other EU member state.10European Commission. Consular Protection
The main tool available is the EU Emergency Travel Document, which received an updated format with stronger security features in December 2025. It is a single-journey document designed to get you home. The issuing process involves verifying your identity and nationality with your home country’s authorities and normally takes no longer than seven working days. The document is valid for up to 15 calendar days.11EEAS. New EU Emergency Travel Document The issuing embassy may charge a fee equivalent to what it charges its own nationals for emergency documents.
If you lose your card inside the EU, the process is simpler. Report the loss to local police, then contact your national authorities about a replacement. A police report may help you prove your identity for a return journey, but it is not a substitute for a travel document.
The EU Digital Identity Wallet Is Coming
Starting at the end of 2026, every EU member state must offer at least one digital identity wallet to its citizens and residents under the eIDAS 2.0 framework (Regulation (EU) 2024/1183).12European Commission. EU Digital Identity Wallet Home The wallet is a smartphone app that lets you prove your identity online and in person, store documents like boarding passes, and create legally binding digital signatures.
It is designed to work across borders for both public and private services. Regulated industries including banking, telecommunications, insurance, healthcare, and education will be required to accept the wallet for identity verification. Practical uses include opening a bank account, enrolling at a university abroad, authorizing payments, and applying for jobs.
The wallet supplements rather than replaces the physical card. You will still need the physical card for border crossings and situations where digital authentication is unavailable.