The race to issue the Electronic Identity Card In Italy, this could affect Italian citizens who plan to use a trip to the country to apply for the document.
From August 3, 2026, paper identity cards will no longer be valid in Italy, even if they are still within their validity period. The decision by the Ministry of the Interior has caused an immediate increase in demand for the electronic version of the document, known as CIE.
The growing demand is already putting pressure on registry office services in several cities.
The Reggio Emilia case shows the impact of the race for the document.
An example of the impact of this change is occurring in Reggio Emilia, in northern Italy.
Following the announcement of the new rule, demand for the document increased rapidly. According to the municipal registry office, approximately 14.000 new requests were registered. in just over a month.
The appointment schedule quickly became congested.
On the municipality's scheduling portal, the first available appointment at the main location, on Via Toschi, is only for mid-December 2026. At the units on Via Terrachini and Via Pieve, there are no available appointments even for the beginning of 2027.
The head of the municipality's registry office, Alberto Bevilacqua, explained the scale of the increase in demand.
"Having 16 more orders means seeing a 60% increase in workload in just a few months," he told the newspaper il. Rest of the Carlino, this Saturday (14).
Rules change starting in August.
The new rule stipulates that, starting August 3, 2026, paper identity cards will be invalidated for any purpose.
"Starting August 4th, the paper identity card will be invalidated in every respect, for every purpose," Bevilacqua stated.
Therefore, Italian citizens who still possess the old document need to request the electronic version.
New opportunity for Italians living abroad
At the same time, a change scheduled for June 2026 It expands the options for those who live outside of Italy.
From that date, Italian citizens residing abroad will be able to apply for the Electronic Identity Card directly in Italy, at any municipality.
This new development may encourage many Italians to try to obtain the document during trips to the country.
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