Only new IDs with an MRZ or passports will be valid for travel abroad from Monday

Only valid passports and the new biometric ID cards can be used for travel abroad by Greek nationals as of Monday, marking the end of an era for the old-style ‘blue’ police IDs, which lack the security features and the machine-readable zone that is now the required European standard for travel documents, even for travel within the Schengen area.

The change caused a rush to obtain the new IDs, with appointments hard to find, forcing the Citizen Protection Ministry to increase the available slots by 28% and reducing the time of service to 14 minutes from 22. More than 4.15 million new IDs were issued by July 31, 2026.

The old IDs will continue to be valid as a proof of identity for all transactions within Greece.

The issue of the new IDs is continuing, meanwhile, with the ministry giving an estimated turnover time of seven days from the submission of the application to the issue of the new ID. All online government services, such as the gov.gr Wallet or AADE profiles, are automatically updated with the new details once the ID is issued but holders must still take steps to update their information in private bodies, such as phone companies, banks and employers.

amna.gr