Overview

• EU Regulation 1157/2019 will render paper identity cards invalid for travel abroad from August 3, 2026
• Municipalities are posting notices on websites and social media to inform residents of appointment procedures and avoid overcrowding at Anagrafe offices
• Applicants must book an appointment at their local Anagrafe, submit a recent photo, their old ID and fiscal code, and pay a €22 fee to receive a Carta d’Identità Elettronica
• Approximately 5 million paper cards—about 8 percent of Italians—remain in circulation and must be replaced, with AIRE-registered citizens abroad exempt from the electronic rollout
• The CIE’s Machine Readable Zone complies with EU standards and also serves as a digital credential for accessing public services via CieID, potentially replacing SPID