Greek defence ministry warned of ID gap for soldiers before 2026 citizen ID shift
From 3 August 2026 Greece will issue a new civil identity card to all citizens, replacing the special identification documents previously used by active‑service military personnel. The Pan‑Hellenic Federation of Military Unions (POMENS) sent a letter to Defence Minister Nikos Dendias, Deputy Minister Thanas Davaki and the Permanent Committee on National Defence and Foreign Affairs asking for clear rules on how soldiers will prove their status once the old military ID loses its evidentiary value outside duty.
POMENS says the new police ID will confirm a person’s citizenship but will not certify that the holder is an active member of the Armed Forces, creating a “practical gap” for rights and benefits such as transport discounts, museum concessions, specialised banking programmes and other services that currently require presentation of a military ID. The federation urges the ministry to define a substitute document or procedure so that servicemen can continue to access these entitlements without legal uncertainty.
The federation notes that the previous military IDs no longer meet modern security standards, are not recognised as secure travel documents by EU states, and cannot be integrated into digital identification tools like the Gov.gr Wallet. They stress that the transition must be accompanied by explicit regulations to avoid administrative problems for the armed forces personnel.