Italy bans paper ID cards for international travel from Aug 3 2026

From 3 August 2026 the Italian paper identity card (carta d’identità cartacea) will no longer be accepted for travel abroad. Citizens must use the electronic identity card (CIE) or a passport, and municipalities can issue a temporary travel document valid for up to six months, though its acceptance abroad is not guaranteed.

Decreto Legge 108/2026 creates a transition period: the paper card remains valid on Italian territory for essential services such as banking, health care, pensions, postal and judicial matters, and for contracts concluded before the cut‑off date. This domestic validity extends until 31 January 2027. Approximately five million paper cards are still in circulation; municipalities, including Rome, are accelerating replacement programmes (Rome issued about 230 000 CIEs Jan‑Jul 2026 and aims for 400 000 by year‑end). The change implements EU Regulation 2025/1208, which requires a machine‑readable zone and a chip for cross‑border identification.