EU and Schengen Area restrict travel using paper identity cards

As of August 3, 2025, traditional paper identity cards (Bilhete de Identidade) are no longer accepted as valid travel documents for crossing borders within the European Union and the Schengen Area. While these documents remain valid for identification purposes within Portugal, they lack the machine-readable zone required by new security standards.

The change follows Council Regulation (EU) 2025/1208, which replaces a previous regulation declared invalid by the Court of Justice of the European Union in March 2024. The new rule mandates that travel documents meet minimum security standards defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Previous versions of the Citizen Card (Cartão de Cidadão) that include an optical data reading zone remain valid until their printed expiration date, with a final limit of August 3, 2031. Travelers currently relying on paper identity cards are advised to obtain a Citizen Card or an electronic passport to avoid being refused boarding or facing additional scrutiny from border authorities.