by Maximiliano Crocamo
Italian residents aged over 70 will no longer be required to renew their national identity cards, the carta d’identità, as part of a new government initiative aimed at streamlining bureaucratic procedures, Public Administration Minister Paolo Zangrillo announced on Wednesday.
The measure, included in a forthcoming “simplification decree,” will be presented to parliament in the coming days. Zangrillo said the decision was made to “make life easier for citizens,” noting that older residents “will no longer need to go to municipal offices” to update their identification documents.
Italy’s identity card, officially known as the Carta di Identità Elettronica (CIE), is issued by the Ministry of the Interior and serves as a primary form of identification for citizens. The document, once produced in paper format, was replaced with an electronic version in 2016 as part of the country’s broader digitalization efforts.
The CIE is commonly used to confirm identity during interactions with public administration offices, financial institutions, and other services requiring proof of identity.
Until recently, Italian citizens could also use the identity card for domestic flights and travel within Europe’s Schengen area. However, in July, the government scrapped that option, allowing passengers to board flights within Italy and the Schengen zone by showing only their boarding passes.
The new measure is one of several planned reforms aimed at reducing administrative burdens, particularly for elderly citizens, as Italy continues to modernize its public services.
