Are passport renewal deadlines exploding? The single national identity card is enough to go on holiday in many destinations. Including outside of Europe.
The holidays are coming up and your passport hasn’t been renewed yet? Due to Covid or Brexit there is actually a traffic jam at City Hall for applying for ID papers. On average, it takes 65 days to get an appointment at City Hall, compared to 12 days a year earlier, government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on May 11. In response, the executive announced “a contingency plan” to handle “500,000 more requests per week.” While the measure will reduce delays, the results will not be immediate.
While waiting for the first effects of this system, several destinations remain accessible to those whose passport has expired: some countries welcome French tourists without a passport for stays mostly lasting no more than 90 days. Here is the list of those countries that you can travel to simply by showing your ID card.
Also readTraveling with Expired ID Documents, Mission Impossible?
In Europe
- The 26 countries of the Schengen area
Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden and Switzerland.
- The other countries of the European Union
Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Ireland and Romania.
- Eight other European countries
Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Liechtenstein and Monaco.
Overseas territories: no passport required, except if…
A passport is generally not required for flights to the West Indies (Guadeloupe, Guyana and Martinique), Réunion, Mayotte, Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon. But be careful, this document is necessary if you book a flight with a stopover. Since French Polynesia and New Caledonia cannot be reached by direct flight, a passport is required. Another possibility are the overseas territories of the countries of the Schengen area, which are only accessible with an identity card: Azores, Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, Sardinia, Sicily.
Since January 1, 2014, the validity of the adult identity card has been increased from 10 to 15 years. In theory, cards issued to over 18s between 2004 and 2013 will be extended by 5 years. But be careful, the French law of January 1, 2014 does not apply in all European countries. Here is the list of countries where this system is in force.
Also readWhere can we travel? Our map of open countries and restrictions for French tourists
Outside Europe: Turkey, Tunisia, Egypt
Very few countries exempt travelers from passports during border control outside the old continent. The first of them has gained a foothold in Europe: he is the Turkey . French travelers can discover Istanbul or the wonders of Cappadocia with just their ID card, which must be valid for at least 150 days (5 months) longer than the date of entry.
This is also in Egypt . Without a passport, you must present an identity card with a validity date of at least six months after the date of return to France. In addition, France Diplomatie states that adult identity cards issued between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2013 are still valid for 5 years after the expiry date indicated on the back.
After all, a passport is not mandatory Tunisia but only organized trips. The identity card is tolerated if it is accompanied by the travel book issued by the agency where the stay was booked. However, France Diplomatie points out that this tolerance is not always respected and recommends traveling to Tunisia with a passport.
Again, ID cards issued to adults between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2013 are valid for 5 years after expiry.
SEE ALSO – Passport, identity card … Gabriel Attal announces an “emergency plan” to reduce the time required for procurement