The Italian government has extended the validity of paper identity cards, which will remain valid until the expiry date printed on the document itself, even after August 3, 2026, the previously set deadline.
With the change, those who still have the paper document You don't need to schedule an appointment at the town hall. in the coming weeks just to get the Electronic Identity Card (CIE).
The official information came in a statement released after the Council of Ministers meeting, which addressed the effectiveness of the identity document.
According to the statement, paper ID cards that have not yet expired "retain their validity until their natural expiration date, even after the deadline of August 3, 2026," for certain purposes and in dealings with the Public Administration and public service providers.
When the comune (municipality) is unable to issue the CIE (Foreigner Identity Card), for example to someone whose document has expired, the municipalities may provide a temporary identity document.
Why was the exchange for the CIE required?
Unlike the electronic version, the paper wallet does not have the optical reading zone, the MRZ. (Machine Readable Zone)This area contains three lines of monospaced characters and identification data that machines can read.
European regulations require adequate security standards and optical data reading, including for the issuance of permessi di soggiorno (residence permits), requirements that the old paper cards do not meet.
Queues and deadlines until 2030
In recent months, ps anagrafi (Civil registry offices) in many municipalities have received a high volume of requests. Several have opened extraordinary service hours to handle the demand, since many paper identity cards expire in 2028 or even 2030.
Those who currently have the paper ID card still need to schedule an appointment to request the electronic version. The difference is that the old document remains valid until its expiration date, and the deadline of August 3, 2026, no longer applies.
