Filenews 9 October 2025
Citizens of the European Union member states will have until the summer of 2026 to proceed with the transition from the old type of identity cards to the new identity cards of European standards.
As it became known, those citizens who do not have the new police IDs will not be able to travel within the European Union with the old type of IDs. However, they will be able to move around with their passport.
According to information from Filenews, this measure will also apply in Cyprus, as it is a European directive.
The old types of identity cards, which do not have an expiration date, will be valid until August 3, 2026, when they will be abolished. Therefore, holders of identity cards that do not have an expiry date should replace them by 3 August 2026 at the latest.
The repeal is mandatory and a result of Regulation EU 2019/1157 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on enhancing the security of identity cards of Union citizens and residence documents issued to Union citizens and their family members exercising their right to free movement.
The changes in Greece
It is worth noting that this change mainly concerns the citizens of the Hellenic Republic, who to this day use IDs based on specifications of the 1960s. These identities will not be recognised for intra-EU travel, due to the low level of security and limited identifiability.
At the same time, the Personal Number (P.A.) is also fully implemented, which will be the main means of identification of the citizen in every transaction with the State and will gradually replace the Tax Identification Number and AMKA.
The deadline for its issuance expires on November 5, 2025, while those who do not proceed in time risk facing problems in basic transactions, such as filing tax returns, paying contributions or accessing electronic services of the State.
