Italian and Greek nationals travelling home for the summer holidays in August will be denied travel if they present their old paper identity card for security checks.
Starting from Monday 3 August, old paper Italian and Greek ID cards will no longer be valid as travel documents regardless of the expiry date shown on them.
From that date, the only valid format for travel abroad will be the Electronic Identity Card (EIC).
The paper ID card will also cease to be valid in Italy from that same date, according to the Italian Foreign Ministry. In Greece, they will remain in use for domestic purposes until September 2027, according to the Greek City Times.
The deadline is due to a European Regulation from 2019, which was adopted to boost the security of identity cards and gradually standardise them across the European Union.
"Paper identity cards can no longer be used for travel abroad after this date [3 August]," Charleroi Airport said in a statement. "To travel or prove your identity, you must now hold the new biometric card (plasticised, with a chip, biometric data and a QR code)."
Starting June 1, Italian citizens living abroad (AIRE) may also apply for the EIC at any Italian municipality. Greek nationals can book an appointment online at their local police station in Greece.
A Belgian residence card cannot be used as a standalone travel document to fly.
