The holidays are coming, and your passport hasn’t been updated yet? Due to covid or brexit the city hall is really jammed with ID requests. Wait times remain as high as ever (an average of 76 days in August 2022, according to the RDV 360 website) despite the executive’s “emergency plan” announced last May “500,000+ inquiries per week”.
For those who already see their vacation slipping away, a solution is still possible. Few destinations are indeed accessible to those whose passports have expired. Some countries accept French tourists without the expensive Purple Book for stays that often do not exceed 90 days. Here is a list of these countries where one can travel with a simple presentation of a national identity card.
Where to travel without a passport in Europe?
- 26 countries of the Schengen zone
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden and Switzerland.
- Other EU countries
Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Ireland and Romania.
- Eight additional European countries
Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Liechtenstein and Monaco.
As of January 1, 2014, the period of validity of an identity document for adults has increased from 10 to 15 years. In theory, cards issued to persons over the age of 18 between 2004 and 2013 are extended for 5 years. But be warned, the French law of January 1, 2014 is not applicable in all European countries. Find here the list of countries where this system works.
Where to travel without a passport outside of Europe?
Very few countries exempt travelers from passports at border controls outside the Old Continent. The first of them has a foot in Europe. it is turkey . French travelers can discover Istanbul or the wonders of Cappadocia only with their identity card, the validity of which must exceed at least 150 days (therefore 5 months) from the date of entry into the country.
This is also the case Egypt . Without a passport, you must present a national identity card with a validity date of at least six months from the date of your return to France. In addition, France Diplomatie states that ID cards issued to adults between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2013 are valid for 5 years after the expiration date stated on the back.
After all, it is not necessary to go for a passport Tunisia but only for that organized trips. A national identity card is acceptable if it is accompanied by a travel booklet issued by the agency through which the holiday was booked. France Diplomatie, however, notes that this tolerance is not always applied and recommends traveling to Tunisia with a passport.
Here again, ID cards issued to adults between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2013 are valid for 5 years after expiration.
This article was published in May 2022 and is subject to update.
Source: Le Figaro
