Identity Card: If It Is Not Electronic, It Is Not Valid
From 3 August the paper version will no longer be valid: the institutional campaign to inform citizens launches
Rome, 8 May 2026 – Starting on 3 August, paper identity cards will no longer be valid in Italy or in European Union countries, regardless of the expiry date shown on the document. From that date onwards, the Electronic Identity Card (CIE) will become the only valid form of identity card.
To inform citizens about the definitive transition to the electronic format and encourage them to renew their documents in good time through their local municipality, the institutional campaign “If It’s Not Electronic, It’s Not Valid” has been launched. The initiative is promoted by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers – Department for Digital Transformation and the Ministry of the Interior, in collaboration with the Department for Information and Publishing, and has been developed by the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato.
The television, radio, and social media campaign uses a clear and direct approach to portray three everyday situations where possessing an Electronic Identity Card is essential: boarding a commercial flight, completing a banking transaction, and proving legal age to gain entry to a nightclub event. These are just some of the many real-life situations that reinforce a simple and unmistakable message: if it’s not electronic, it’s not valid.
This transition marks a further step forward in Italy’s digital transformation journey, strengthening the security and innovation standards of identity documents while promoting greater efficiency and reliability in citizen services.
