France plans country-wide digital identity cards on iPhone by the summer

AppleInsider

France is bringing identity cards to the iPhone this summer, with the country moving to embrace digital identity cards while U.S. adoption moves at a glacial pace.

Examples of digital ID cards on a phone in France - Image Credit: France Identite

Identity cards are a well-known tool in France, as an alternate to passports and driving licenses. Approximately 25 million people use them in the country as a form of government identity, without necessarily needing the other official documents in their lives.

Now, the French government is preparing to make the digital version of the identity cards available via the iPhone. Spotted by Consomac, France Identite confirmed via X that the ID card will be going digital, and will be available on mobile devices soon.

The current plan is to make it available in time for summer vacations, all through an app titled France Identite. While Apple Wallet does support digital IDs, it is unclear whether the France Identite system will work with it, or be completely separate.

France Identite's tweet on the digital ID initiative - Image Credit: France Identite/X

Interior minister Bruno Retaillau told Ouest France that the plan was for it to be an experiment at first, before a full rollout later in the year.

This is not the first digital identity effort that France has undertaken. In 2024, it started to offer digital versions of driving licenses. The extension to the identity card is a relatively small jump for it to perform.

France's digital ID moves outpace the U.S.

The continuation of rolling out digital ID initiatives far outpaces that of the United States, which has been sluggish in its own efforts. While France is rolling out digital IDs across the entire country, it's still very piecemeal in the U.S.

In January, Illinois became the latest state to enable support for digital IDs and drivers licenses in digital wallets such as Apple Wallet. It joined a roster of just ten other states that supported Apple Wallet IDs.

In some states, such as Florida, a proprietary digital ID format has been used, separate from Apple Wallet. Some other states have also pledged to add digital IDs to Apple Wallet, but have yet to actually do so.

Meanwhile, Europe is trying to work on a general framework for the entire continent, which it has been planning for years. The EU Digital Identity aims to be a wallet for a national ID card that is recognized across the EU.

However, outside of some smaller trial projects, it has yet to reach a stage for a continent-wide rollout.

Like the U.S. it seems blanket coverage of a digital ID card across the entire continent is going to take a while to complete.




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y2an

France used an app to identify vaccination status during the pandemic. Entry to establishments depended on the establishment successfully scanning a up to date certificate code in your app.

lordjohnwhorfin

It’s going to have to be rolled out for iOS and Android at the same time so I wouldn’t be surprised if they went with a crappy non-Wallet solution. Their Covid vaccination mobile card was the same way, late and sloppy. 

dominikhoffmann

What are the downsides of digital IDs, from a civil libery point of view?

afarstar

In the UK our successive pathetic governments have always voted against ID cards on the grounds of liberty and freedom for citizens. Now we are overrun with illegal immigrants and nobody knows where they are. We can’t even have digital driving licences. 

afarstar

dominikhoffmann said:

What are the downsides of digital IDs, from a civil libery point of view?

Screw civil liberty. Every country needs to get a grip on what their citizens are up to or else there will be anarchy. 

manufr

Hello, I'm French here are some detail on how it works for us actually.
The digital ID using France Identité is open for more than a year now, the driving licence to (used during the 2024 Olympics). The new service that you even show in your picture is the general rolling this summer of the car ID.
The only limitation we had until march this year is that to migrate your personal ID in the app you should have a less than 6 year physical ID, now it is open to every one. And by the way the social security card general rolling in France Identité is available to (last month).
From a year now you can use France Identité to travel (train, plaine, car, public transportation), you can use it to prove identity, and to log securely to all public services including IRS. The good thing about this app is that it can share only needed informations. For exemple, I'll like to buy wine (what a cliché), I need to prove that I'm over 18, I can show France Identité and not show my date of birth, it only tell the seller that I'm over 18.
Regarding the Apple Wallet compatibility, it is clear that it will not be available (official confirmation) and the France Identité system is under the close look of EU for a general adoption of the framework around EU if it satisfy the required standards. September 9th 2024, the first step of EU adoption has been checked as EU confirm the recognition of France Identité as enough secure and reliable to be officially recognize around EU.
(Sorry for my English BTW)