A new platform where Greek citizens can book an appointment for the issue of a new, higher-security, contactless police ID card is to open at the gov.gr portal on Monday. Citizens will be able to book an appointment at a police station, which will be confirmed through an e-mail and SMS to their phone.
After attending the appointment and the process for issuing the new ID, they will then be informed by SMS within a week or 10 days to pick up their new ID. There are 367 points for the issue of the new police ID cards throughout Greece, while 60 mobile units will be set up for prisoners, hospital patients, the elderly and disabled with serious accessibility issues.
The cost of the new ID is 10 euros, payable online, while there is an additional fee of nine euros in cases where the original ID is lost or damaged. The new IDs will be valid for 10 years, as at present. The old ID cards will cease to be valid from August 3, 2026 as they do not have a Machine Readable Zone (MRZ).
The new IDs will feature the holder’s photograph, name and surname, gender, date of birth, nationality, date of issue, expiration date, issuing authority and holder’s signature, as well as an ID number. On the reverse side, they will include the name of the holder’s father and mother, place of birth, height (mandatory after age 24) and blood type (optional). There is also space to print a Personal Citizen Number if required.
The information stored on the card’s contactless chip will include a digital photograph of the holder, an MRZ, two finger prints, the surname of the father and mother, the municipality where the holder is registered and municipal roll number and place of issue.
The new Greek ID cards will be made of polycarbonate and measure 85.6mm by 54mm, or about the same size as a credit card, according to ICAO international standards and the country’s legal obligations. They will be printed with a laser engraving printer and also have other features designed to make forgery impossible.
