The countdown has already begun for Greece‘s blue laminated identity cards, which display holders’ details in both Greek and Latin characters, as they will cease to be valid as travel documents outside Greece from 3 August 2026.

They will, however, disappear entirely in September 2027, when they will also cease to be accepted as proof of identity in citizens’ dealings with public authorities. Anyone who has not obtained the new-format police identity card by September 2027 will effectively be left without a valid ID, as the old document will no longer be accepted for any official transaction.

So far, almost 3.79 million citizens have obtained the new-format identity card, a figure that remains well below the number of people who must replace their old cards over the next 15 months.

Approximately 580,000 appointments have already been scheduled up to 24 September, while emergency appointments remain available in cases of lost or stolen identity cards or urgent travel abroad for health-related reasons.

Appointments and fees

Among those who have recently obtained the new credit card-sized identity card is Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who visited the Syntagma Police Station and completed what is a very straightforward application process.

Citizens first book an appointment through the dedicated online platform and pay the two required electronic fees of €10 (or €5 for members of large families) and €0.50. No supporting documents need to be obtained, as these are retrieved automatically by the police authorities. Applicants can also have their photograph taken at the police station during the appointment.

Alternatively, they may use a professional photographer, who uploads the photograph electronically. The applicant then provides the photo’s unique reference code, enabling the police officer to retrieve it.

Around seven days later, applicants collect their new identity card and surrender the old one. The tax authorities are automatically notified of the new identity details, with no further action required from the citizen.

The fact that considerably fewer than half of Greek citizens have replaced their old-style identity cards so far is believed to be the result of several factors.

Some delayed the process while waiting for the rollout of the Personal Identification Number, which has now been assigned to everyone and is included on the new ID card. However, identity cards issued before the introduction of the Personal Identification Number remain fully valid until their expiry date and do not need to be reissued.

Others became discouraged after struggling to secure appointments, while some have cited surveillance and tracking conspiracy theories, as has happened on various occasions in the past.

The platform for issuing the new, high-security identity cards opened in late 2023. Initially, however, very few people rushed to apply. Demand at police stations increased after 2025, when difficulties in finding available appointments also began to emerge.

Particularly at police stations in Attica and other major cities, appointments were booked months in advance. The situation eased because there is no restriction on where a person may apply for their identity card. In other words, citizens are not required to obtain their ID in their place of residence.

For example, someone can book an appointment while on holiday elsewhere in Greece, provided they intend to stay for more than a week, allowing enough time to collect the new card before returning home.

It should be noted that all Greek citizens aged 12 and over are legally required to hold an identity card. The new-format identity card has also become a mandatory prerequisite for obtaining a passport.

A legal obligation

Why is replacing the blue laminated identity cards mandatory?

It is a legal obligation for Greece under EU Regulation 2019/1157. Under the regulation, identity cards issued by EU member states that do not include a Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) will cease to be valid on 3 August 2026.

At the same time, the introduction of the new identity cards has long been a requirement of international organisations and is aligned with security protocols established by bodies such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a specialised agency of the United Nations.

Today’s identity cards are largely unchanged from those first issued in 1961 and are considered extremely easy to forge. Greece’s first identity cards began to be issued in 1925, while mandatory identity cards for Greek citizens were introduced by law in 1945.

The new identity card is made from polycarbonate, follows the ID-1 credit card format, and is produced using laser engraving. All personal details and the colour photograph are engraved within the internal layer of the card, making any attempt at forgery impossible.

The electronic storage medium includes:

• the holder’s photograph in digital format;
• the Machine Readable Zone (MRZ);
• two fingerprints;
• the father’s surname;
• the mother’s surname;
• the municipality of registration, municipal register number, and the Personal Identification Number.