Passport Requirements for International Travel: When an ID Card Is Enough

Anyone planning a trip abroad usually starts with the same question: does an ID card work, or do I need a passport? The rules change from destination to destination, so there’s no shortcut that covers every case.

Inside the EU and the Schengen area

According to the European Commission, an EU citizen can travel across the 27 member states, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, with a valid national ID card or a passport. The document has to be valid on the day of travel. It usually isn’t requested at internal Schengen borders, but it becomes necessary again if a country applies temporary controls, and it’s always required crossing between a Schengen country and Cyprus or Ireland: both are EU members but don’t apply the Schengen agreement.

Children need their own document, an ID card or a passport: listing a child on a parent’s document is no longer an option. Anyone without a valid document during a police check risks penalties, even inside the Schengen area.

Real-world example: a family driving from Italy to Greece through several Schengen borders won’t stop at any customs checkpoint, but they still keep every ID card, parents’ and children’s, within reach, because a police check can happen at any point in the trip.

Outside the European Union

Traveling to a country outside the EU almost always requires a passport. The European Commission, describing the reverse case of a non-EU national entering the Union, sets out a general principle: a minimum remaining validity of three months beyond the planned departure date, and a passport issued no more than ten years earlier. Many countries outside the EU apply a similar logic to travelers, asking for a few months of remaining validity; the exact figure changes from country to country and should always be confirmed before departure with the destination’s foreign ministry or its consulate, never assumed.

Depending on nationality, an entry visa may also be required, an authorization on top of the passport. For non-EU nationals entering the Schengen area for short stays, the EU applies the rule known as 90/180: up to 90 days of stay within any 180-day period. At the border, other documents can also be requested, such as proof of sufficient funds, an invitation letter, proof of accommodation, or a return ticket.

Italy’s paper ID card, an example of what can change

Rules like this can shift without warning, and Italy’s paper ID card is a recent case worth knowing even for readers outside the country. A 2026 decree (Decree-Law 108/2026) set 3 August 2026 as the date after which Italy’s paper ID card stopped being valid for expatriation. The electronic ID card (CIE) and the passport remain valid. Anyone still holding only the paper version who needs to travel urgently can request a provisional document from their municipality, not from a consulate, valid for a maximum of 6 months and not renewable; it’s issued alongside the appointment booking for the CIE. Some foreign countries may still decline to accept this bridge document, so arriving with the CIE or a passport remains the safer option.

For uses inside Italy, the paper card keeps its validity until its normal expiration in dealings with public administration, public service providers, and private contracts already in place on 3 August 2026.

Outside the EU, Italy also has bilateral agreements that extend the ID card’s validity to some non-EU countries: the updated list, which changes over time, should be checked on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Viaggiare sicuri website before every trip, rather than relied on from lists found elsewhere.

Documents for children

Every child traveling abroad, from newborns onward, needs their own document: an ID card or a passport. Applying for a passport for a minor requires the consent of both parents; if one of them can’t appear at the appointment, they have to provide a signed consent statement along with a copy of both sides of an ID document.

Expatriation for children under 14 also requires a parent (or a legal guardian) to accompany them, or, if they’re traveling with other adults, an accompaniment declaration. There’s also a specific pass for children under 15, created by a 1957 European agreement, a lesser-known alternative to the ID card or passport for simpler trips.

Health and other checks before you travel

The ISS notes that some countries require a vaccination certificate for entry, for example against yellow fever in parts of equatorial Africa and South America, or against meningitis ACWY for entry into Saudi Arabia. This isn’t a list to follow without checking further: the specific case for a given itinerary should be confirmed with official sources, a local health authority, or a travel medicine clinic, not with a generic search.

For updated document, visa and health requirements by country, a reference used by airlines is the IATA Travel Centre. Before departure it’s also worth checking the practical side of the trip: how the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs supports citizens abroad, how SPID works for booking appointments online, when an eSIM beats a local SIM card, and how payment and cancellation work for a hotel reservation abroad.