The Interior Ministry has announced that France Identité—the government’s mobile-based digital identity wallet—has passed the milestone of 5 million active users as of 1 October 2026. The free app stores an encrypted version of the new biometric national ID card and allows holders to generate one-time QR codes to prove identity online or in person without sharing excess data. Critically for global mobility managers, the ministry confirmed that since May 2026 all French citizens living abroad can now complete the mandatory in-person verification step at embassies and consulates worldwide, eliminating the previous requirement to activate the service via FranceConnect or wait for a postal PIN letter sent to a French address. That change has accelerated uptake among expatriates in Canada, Singapore and the Gulf, where lengthy postal lead times had been a barrier. Beyond everyday e-government log-ins, France Identité is already being used to issue fully electronic voting credentials for the May 2026 elections of French overseas councillors and for remote notarisation of powers of attorney. The Interior Ministry says talks are under way with the Directorate-General for Foreign Nationals in France (DGEF) to integrate residency-permit renewals and work-permit notifications by early 2027—an upgrade that would streamline HR compliance for employers of impatriate staff. For international assignees and their dependants, the certified digital ID should shorten procedures at préfectures: pilots in Paris and Lyon show that applicants who preload documents in the app spend 30 % less time at biometric appointments. Companies should therefore begin encouraging mobile employees with the new credit-card-format ID to download the app before arrival.
Source: Ministère de l’Intérieur
