Greece's old-style police identity cards will no longer be accepted for international travel starting August 3, the government confirmed, clarifying that a recent ministerial extension applies only to specific electronic identification procedures, not to travel or general document validity.
The extension, published in the Government Gazette, permits continued use of old ID cards solely for remote identity verification procedures used in issuing trust service certificates. It does not constitute a blanket extension of the cards' validity as travel or identification documents, authorities said.
Anyone wishing to travel outside Greece from August 3 onward will need either a new national ID card or a passport.
Old ID cards will, however, remain valid as proof of identity within Greece until at least September 2027, when they are expected to be phased out entirely, including for transactions with public authorities.
According to the ministry, the extension was deemed necessary to give citizens sufficient time to replace their old identity cards. Under the new provision, older police ID cards that display the holder's name in Latin characters alongside Greek will continue to be accepted for the specified remote identification procedures until September 25, 2027.
The same framework also applies to identity cards issued to members of the armed forces and security services, as well as to residence permits issued to third-country nationals that remain valid under current legislation.