The Italian Embassy in Pretoria issued an alert on 22 July reminding citizens that paper-format Identity Cards (CI) will no longer be valid for expatriation after 3 August 2026. The change follows Legislative Decree 108/2026, part of Italy’s broader digital-government drive that is progressively replacing legacy documents with the Electronic Identity Card (CIE). Under the new rules, unexpired paper IDs remain acceptable for identification inside Italy and at consular offices, but they cannot be used to cross borders. Italian nationals living abroad who still hold the paper card must therefore travel with a passport or apply for the biometric CIE. Municipalities may issue a temporary six-month emergency travel document, but the embassy warns that some foreign states may refuse it. For global-mobility managers the change closes a useful workaround: employees on international assignment often found the paper card more convenient than a passport for intra-Schengen flights. From 3 August, airlines and border police will treat paper cards as invalid travel documents, creating a real risk of denied boarding. Corporates should audit the documents their mobile workforce carries and schedule CIE appointments well ahead—lead times at busy Italian municipalities are currently six to eight weeks. The decree also liberalises CIE issuance for Italians registered with AIRE (the registry of Italians abroad). Since 1 June, expatriates can apply at any Italian municipality during home leave, easing a bottleneck that previously forced applicants to return to their town of last residence. Insurers and travel-risk providers recommend updating policy wordings to reflect the new document hierarchy; failure to hold a valid travel ID may void assistance coverage. The embassy has published a Q & A and a direct link to the CIE appointment portal for ease of reference.
Source: Embassy of Italy in Pretoria
