National identity card (France)

The French national identity card can be used as an identification document in France in situations such as opening a bank account, identifying oneself to government agencies, proving one's identity and regular immigration status to a law enforcement official etc.

Similarly, French citizens exercising their right to free movement in another EU/EEA member state or Switzerland are entitled to use their French national identity card as an identification document when dealing not just with government authorities, but also with private sector service providers. For example, if a supermarket in Ireland refuses to accept a French national identity card as proof of age when a French citizen attempts to purchase an age-restricted product, and insists on the production of an Irish passport, driving license or other identity document, the supermarket would, in effect, be discriminating against this individual on this basis of his/her nationality in the provision of a service, thereby contravening the prohibition in Art 20(2) of Directive 2006/123/EC of discriminatory treatment relating to the nationality of a service recipient in the conditions of access to a service which are made available to the public at large by a service provider.[6]

In practice, the ID card can often be used for various identification purposes worldwide, such as for age verification in bars or checking in at hotels.

The French national identity card can be used as a travel document (instead of a French passport) to/from the following countries:

• All countries in Europe except Belarus, Russia, Ukraine and United Kingdom
• French overseas territories
•  Anguilla (max 24 hours, 72 hours for St Martin residents) [7]
•  Dominica (max 14 days)[8]
•  Egypt (a passport photo must be supplied to the border authorities upon entry)[9]
•  Georgia
•  Montserrat
•  Saint Lucia[10]
•  Tunisia (only when on a package tour)
•  Turkey[11]

Previously, the  Dominican Republic,  Mauritius,  Morocco,  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,  Senegal,  Sint Maarten and the  United Kingdom permitted French citizens to travel to their countries on the strength of a French national identity card alone.[12]  Greenland does not accept French ID cards.[13]

Prior to 1 January 2013, unaccompanied minors under the age of 18 who travelled outside metropolitan France using their French national identity cards were required to obtain an autorisation de sortie du territoire (AST).[14] In order to obtain an AST, one of the minor's legal ascendant(s) had to visit the local mayor's office. On 1 January 2013, the obligation to obtain an AST was removed, and all minors are now able solely to use their French national identity cards when leaving/re-entering France without a legal ascendant.[15] However, whilst the French border authorities no longer require an AST from the legal ascendant(s) of an unaccompanied minor when he/she leaves or re-enters France, the border authorities of other countries may require the minor to present some form of written approval from his/her legal ascendant(s) before admitting him/her.

Prior to 1 January 2014, French national identity cards were issued with a maximum period of validity of 10 years.

On 1 January 2014, the period of validity of new cards issued to adults was increased from 10 to 15 years.

In addition, on the same day, a retroactive change in the period of validity came into effect by virtue of Decree 2013-1188.[16] As a result, all French national identity cards issued between 2 January 2004 and 31 December 2013 to adults had their period of validity automatically extended from 10 years to 15 years.[17] This extension took place without the need for any physical amendment to the expiry date which appears on eligible cards — for example, the holder of a French national identity card issued on 1 February 2004 (when he/she was already an adult) will actually be valid until 1 February 2019 automatically without the need for any amendment to the card (even though it states on the card that it will expire on 1 February 2014).

As of 15 March 2021, the new id card lasts 10 years.[5]

The front side of the previous design (used from 1994 to 2021) featured the words "RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE" across the top and "Carte nationale d'identité/ National Identity Card" as well on cards issues since 2021 on the front, plus the following information:

• Card number
• Nationality (French)
• Photograph of the holder
• Surname
• Given name(s)
• Sex
• Date of birth (dd.mm.yyyy)
• Place of birth (If born in France, only the name and number of the département)
• Height (in metres, on the back of the new cards)
• Signature of holder

At the bottom of the front side (the back on the new design) is a two-line machine readable zone.

The format of the first row is:

The format of the second row is:

The rear side contains the following information:

• Residential address of the holder
• Date of expiry (dd.mm.yyyy, on the front of new cards)
• Date of issue (dd.mm.yy)
• Issuing authority
• Signature of the issuing authority
• Credit card like microchip and datamatrix code on cards issued since 2021

The largely Government-funded Internet Rights Forum (Forum des droits sur l’Internet) or FDI, was asked by Interior Minister Dominique de Villepin to conduct a public debate on the Internet and throughout the French Regions. The FDI focused on the critics.

The FDI reported to Villepin's successor, Nicolas Sarkozy, on 16 June 2005, stating that 74% were in favour of the cards, 75% in favour of a fingerprint database, and 63% in favour of compulsion. They did, however, make a number of recommendations to change aspects of the proposals.

In response to the Government's debate, a group of French bodies initiated a report and petition against the plans. Founded by the Human Rights League (Ligue des droits de l'Homme), Magistrates' Union (Syndicat de la Magistrature), French Lawyers' Union (Syndicat des Avocats de France), the 'Imagine a United Internet Association' (association Imaginons un Réseau Internet Solidaire), the Group for Rights and Liberties in the face of the Computerisation of Society (intercollectif Droits Et Libertés face à l’Informatisation de la Société) and the French Democratic Lawyers Association (Association française des juristes démocrates), the group submitted an alternative report and petition. This states that:

• The claims that the scheme would reduce fraud were unsubstantiated;
• The argument that the cards would help the fight against terrorism was not appropriate (although ID cards exist in France, they did not prevent the 28/7/1995 terrorist attack);
• There were important risks concerning the protection of a person's private life and their data, especially due to the existence of the proposed central database and its possible uses;
• The introduction of the INES scheme, even if it incorporated the revisions suggested by the FDI, would shatter the social pact between the citizen and the state, and that the proposals should be abandoned.

Over 1000 organisations and individuals backed the report's conclusions. By then end of January 2006 this had risen to over 68 groups and organisations, and over 6,000 individuals.

The Senate named a commission. Its 2005 report pointed the need to fight the existing fraud by a new identity card system which should also protect freedom and privacy.

Although draft legislation was published in 2005, as by the end of 2005 the Government had not set a date for discussion of the proposals in Parliament. As a result, it is unclear if the scheme will go ahead or when it would commence.

A new project, taking into account the criticism and suggestions made in 2005, is under study.

• Council of the European Union: PRADO page on the French national identity card
• French NGOs : no consensus possible on biometric ID-card

• Decree 55-1397 of 22 October 1955 relating to the national identity card (Décret n°55-1397 du 22 octobre 1955 relatif à la carte nationale d'identité )
• CNIL - Carte d’identité électronique : la CNIL au cœur d’un débat de société majeur
• Pétition pour le retrait du projet de carte d'identité biométrique
• Le Forum des droits sur l'internet Rappport : Projet de carte nationale d’identité électronique
• Droit-tic Biométrie : une sécurité accrue au détriment des libertés individuelles ?