Do you have to have an ID card?

Verified 17 August 2023 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

No, there's no text that requires you to have an ID card. However, if you are subject to a identity checkHowever, the procedure will take longer if you are unable to present identification.

Also, for most procedures, you have to prove who you are. So if you don't have an identity card, you may have a problem. These include, for example:

  • Examination or competition
  • Registration for France Travail (formerly Pôle emploi)
  • Voter registration and voting
  • Bank transactions (payment by check, withdrawal at your bank counter)
  • Travel abroad

Please note

the identity card, like the passport, allows you to prove your identity but also your french nationality.