Reference
The French national identity card (CNI)
Two formats of France's ID card are in circulation at once, with different sizes, different validity rules and a travel deadline on the older one.
The short answer
The carte nationale d'identité proves identity and French nationality, and doubles as a travel document across the EU. Since 2 August 2021 France issues it as a bank-card-size chip card (the carte d'identité électronique, 85.6×54 mm, valid 10 years). The older laminated card, the larger 105×74 mm format, remains valid until its expiry, with a 15-year validity for adults and an EU-imposed travel cut-off of 3 August 2031.
The two formats side by side
| New card (CIe, since Aug 2021) | Old card (pre-Aug 2021) | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 85.6×54 mm (ID-1, bank-card) | 105×74 mm (ID-2, laminated) |
| Validity | 10 years (adults and minors) | 15 years for adults, 10 for minors |
| Chip | Contactless chip: photo + 2 fingerprints | None |
| Languages | French and English | French only |
| Travel (EU) | Valid EU/Schengen travel document | Valid until expiry, at latest 3 Aug 2031 |
The new format implements EU Regulation 2019/1157, which standardised ID cards across the Union on the bank-card format with biometric chips.
The 15-year confusion, untangled
In 2014 France extended adult CNI validity from 10 to 15 years, including retroactively, for cards issued to adults from 2004 through the end of 2013. Those cards stayed valid five years past the date printed on them, with no replacement card issued. Domestically that worked; for travel it caused years of friction, because a border officer abroad sees an expired date, and several countries declined to recognise the extension. The practical rule: an old-format card past its printed date is fine as ID within France, shaky as a travel document. The whole question retires in 2031, when old cards lose travel validity altogether.
Getting or renewing one: the photo is the strict part
The card itself is free (a fee applies if you can't present the old card), and applications run through a mairie with a pre-demande on the ANTS portal. The photo follows the same AFNOR standard as the French passport: 35×45 mm, face 32–36 mm from chin to crown, light grey or light blue background, never white. France requires it to come from a professional photographer or an approved booth that issues the e-photo code. A photo that would sail through a UK or US application fails in France on the background colour alone.
Need the photo checked?
The free check measures your setup against the French geometry (head size, the grey/blue background requirement, lighting) before you sit in a booth, so you walk in knowing what compliant looks like.
Questions
What is the French national identity card?
The carte nationale d'identité (CNI) is France's official identity document, issued free of charge to French citizens. It proves identity and nationality domestically and works as a travel document within the EU and a number of other countries; many French citizens use it instead of a passport for European travel.
What does the current French ID card look like?
Since August 2021 it's a bank-card-size (85.6×54 mm) polycarbonate card, the carte d'identité électronique or CIe. It's bilingual French/English, with a contactless chip holding the photo and two fingerprints, a holder photo on the front, and a machine-readable zone. It replaced a laminated card almost twice its size.
How long is a French ID card valid?
New-format cards: 10 years, for adults and minors alike. Old-format cards issued to adults carry 15 years of validity. Cards issued to adults between 2004 and the end of 2013 were printed with 10 years and extended by 5 automatically, which is why a card can be valid past its printed date. Old cards for minors were valid 10 years.
Can you travel on a French ID card?
Within the EU and Schengen area, yes, plus several non-EU destinations that accept it. One caveat for old-format cards benefiting from the 5-year extension: some countries never recognised the extension, so past the printed date a passport is safer outside the EU. Under EU rules, old-format cards cease to be valid for travel by 3 August 2031 at the latest.
What photo does a French ID card application need?
The same AFNOR standard as the French passport: 35×45 mm, face 32–36 mm chin to crown, light grey or light blue background (never white), neutral expression, taken within six months. France requires the photo to come from a professional photographer or an ANTS-approved booth; self-printed photos are rejected.
How we handle compliance
- We check your photo against the official rules. We never retouch your face, and we only normalize the background where the destination country permits it.
- Every requirement is cited from official government sources, with the verification date shown on the page.
- What you get is a report of measurements, not a guarantee. Final acceptance always rests with the issuing authority.