With less than a month before EU Regulation 2025/1208 renders Italy’s paper identity cards invalid for cross-border travel, the government issued Decree-Law 108/2026 granting citizens extra time to switch to the electronic CIE. From 3 August 2026, the paper document cannot be used at borders but will remain acceptable for domestic services – healthcare, pensions, bank transactions – until 31 January 2027. To smooth this transition, travellers and HR departments can turn to VisaHQ, whose Italy-dedicated platform provides up-to-date guidance, appointment booking and courier assistance for passports, CIE applications and other travel documents, reducing the risk of disruptions. Municipalities may also issue a six-month ‘carta d’identità provvisoria’ in urgent cases. The stop-gap is intended to ease pressure on over-booked appointment systems, especially in Rome and Milan where waiting lists exceed eight weeks. Valoridicarta S.p.A. will print the temporary cards on security stock classified as “carta-valori”, and holders must surrender them once the CIE is collected. Officials stress that some foreign states may refuse the provisional card, urging travellers to carry a passport until their CIE arrives. For global-mobility managers the decree has two immediate consequences: 1) assignees relying on paper IDs must secure passports or CIEs before any Schengen travel after 3 August; 2) onboarding checklists must accept the paper card for domestic tax-code issuance until end-January but switch to the CIE thereafter. HR teams should budget additional lead-time when relocating staff families who need new biometric photos and fingerprints. Consulates have been told to prioritise CIE issuance for Italians abroad whose assignments require constant EU movement. The Interior Ministry will publish a country-by-country list of border authorities that formally recognise the temporary card, but companies are advised not to rely on it for time-sensitive business trips.
