New Greek ID Card or Passport Required from Today

Travellers departing Greece from today, August 3, must carry either the new Greek national identity card or a valid passport, as the old blue police-issued ID cards are no longer accepted for international travel.

The change applies even to travel within the Schengen Area, where the older identity cards had previously been accepted. Authorities introduced the measure because the old documents lack modern security features and the machine-readable zone required under current European standards.

The new requirement has prompted thousands of citizens to apply for replacement identity cards in recent weeks, significantly increasing demand for appointments at police identity card offices.

To meet the surge in applications, the Ministry of Citizen Protection expanded the operating hours of Identity Card Issuance Offices and increased appointment availability. Since July 4, online appointments have risen by 28%, while average processing times have fallen from 22 minutes to 14 minutes. By July 31, authorities had issued more than 4.15 million new identity cards.

The ministry clarified that the old blue identity cards remain valid as proof of identity for all domestic transactions within Greece. The restriction applies only to their use as travel documents for international journeys.

How to Obtain the New Greek ID Card

Citizens must book an appointment online through the id.gov.gr platform to apply for the new identity card. Applicants may choose any Identity Card Issuance Office in Greece, regardless of their place of residence, and can also modify or cancel appointments through the same platform.

Before attending the appointment, applicants must obtain the required electronic fee payments and provide a digital photograph. The photo may be taken at the police office or uploaded to the myPhoto system by a certified photographer for electronic retrieval during the application process.

At the appointment, applicants complete and sign the required application forms. Authorities automatically retrieve civil registry information through the Ministry of the Interior’s Citizen Registry system, eliminating the need to present additional certificates.

The standard application fee is €10, covering production, personalisation and secure delivery of the identity card. Large families pay a reduced fee of €5, while all applicants must also pay a €0.50 Hellenic Police stamp fee.

According to the Ministry of Citizen Protection, applicants should receive their new identity card within approximately seven days. Once issued, the new details automatically update across connected public services, including the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) and the gov.gr Wallet. Citizens must separately update their details with private organisations such as banks, telecommunications providers and employers.

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