Example of new ID cards published

The country’s new identity cards, which will be issued from September 25, will not contain “any chips or cameras or listening devices,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has told the cabinet.

The announcement that new IDs are on the way has mobilized conspiracy theorists, who see the new cards as a fresh attempt by the authorities to control them through technology.

After Citizen Protection Minister Yiannis Oikonomou briefed the cabinet on the new cards, the ministry published a guide for citizens on the new IDs.

The guide says that under EU Regulation 2019/1157, member states need to issue new identity cards with upgraded security features. ID cards, such as the present Greek one that were first issued in 1961, that do not have a machine-readable zone (which are also contained on passports) will cease to be valid on August 3, 2026.

The new cards will contain the following information on the front: bearer’s photo, ID number, surname, first name, gender, date of birth, nationality, date of issuance, date of expiry, issuing authority and bearer’s signature.

The bearer’s father’s name, mother’s name, place of birth, blood group (optional), height (required for bearer’s over 24 years of age) and space for the personal citizen number (should the government introduce one) will be recorded on the reverse.

The AMKA social security number will not be included on the card.

The security features on the new cards include laser engraving of the bearer’s color photograph and details. They will also contain RFID chip technology, which allows the information stored on it to be read by special chip readers at a close distance.

Citizens will be able to book an appointment to issue a new ID card via the state’s govgr website. It will take up to a week to issue a card, which will cost the applicant 10 euros. The cards will be valid for 10 years.