Italian electronic identity card
The Italian identity card (, CIE or simply carta d'identità) is an Italian biometric identification document issued to any Italian citizen and to legal aliens, that has been progressively replacing the since the latest version (CIE 3.0) was released on 4 July 2016. The CIE is intended for both online and offline identification. The information is printed on an ID-1 card and stored in a contactless chip. Overview. The Italian identity card is an optional identity document that may be issued to anyone who is resident in Italy and to Italian citizens living abroad. A card issued  to an Italian citizen is accepted in lieu of a passport to exercise the right of free movement in the European Economic Area and Switzerland or to travel to those countries with which Italy has signed specific agreements. Despite any government-issued document (such as the passport, the driving licence, etc...) can be shown for identification, the identity card is very widespread in Italy; so much so that it is the first document asked and the most accepted in both the public and private sectors. For an Italian citizen, it is not compulsory to carry the card itself, unless expressly  ordered by public security authorities, which usually ask for only the identity of a person, not a specific document. However, if public-security officers are not convinced of the claimed identity, such as a verbal claim of identity, they may hold the claimant in custody until the identity is ascertained. Instead, all foreigners in Italy are required by law to have identification with them at all times. Citizens of the European Economic Area and Switzerland must be ready to display a national identity card or a passport. Non-EEA citizens must have their passport with the proper entry stamp. Permanent  resident foreigners with a valid permesso di soggiorno "(residence permit)" may request an Italian identity card, but in this case the document is valid only and exclusively in Italy for identification purposes. History. In 1931, during the Fascist regime, the Kingdom of Italy adopted the identity card for reasons of public security, based on the article 3 of the Law 773/1931. From then on, the identity card has been in service without interruption according to this old law, to which many other laws have been added over time. The was issued for nearly 87 years until 2018 in Italy, and  can still be issued abroad or in case of emergency. The project of an electronic identity card began in 1997, but the first phase started only in 2001 with a very first experimental model in 83 municipalities in order to identify any technical problem related to software, hardware, manufacture and use of the card. In 2004 a second experimental model was introduced, that was the CIE 2.0, working as a pilot version for future use on a national scale. In 2006 the service was extended to 153 municipalities, but at the end of 2009 just a total of 1.8 million  cards was issued. The production turned out to be complex and inefficient due to the materials and mainly to the transfer printing machines which any municipality had to install to make the card. Therefore, on 23 December 2015 the government decided to use a single centralized manufacturing site, which is the IPZS in Rome (where Italian passports are made), and set the specifications of the next model. Finally, after about 15 years of trials, as per decree of 25 May 2016 every classic identity card with expired validity has to be replaced by the electronic version. The issue of the  CIE 3.0 began on 4 July 2016, initially in 199 municipalities and was extended to the whole country until 2018, as the issue of the classic identity card was definitively being suppressed inside the national territory. According to the Regulation (EU) 2019/1157 of 20 June 2019, the phasing-out of every must be completed by 3 August 2026, because it does not meet the minimum security standards and does not include a functional MRZ. On 18 July 2019, the Minister of Foreign Affairs signed a decree allowing Italians who reside abroad to request an electronic identity card. The service was  tested at the consular offices in Vienna, Athens and Nice, before being extended throughout the European Union and to some countries where Italians have the right of free movement (Norway, Monaco, San Marino, Switzerland and Vatican City). Contactless chip. Like European biometric passports, the CIE has an embedded electronic microprocessor chip that stores the following items: The information can be read by means of NFC tools, but anyway fingerprints are accessible just by police forces. Physical appearance. The card has an ID-1 standard size and it is made of polycarbonate with many security features (such as holograms, security backgrounds, micro -texts, guilloches, etc...), over which the information is printed by using the laser engraving technology. The front side bears the emblem of the Italian Republic and the background of the reverse side is derived from the geometric design of the Piazza del Campidoglio in Rome created by Renaissance artist and architect Michelangelo Buonarroti. The descriptions of the fields are printed in Italian and English. Trilingual versions. In some parts of Italy where a minority language is recognized as official, the identity card could be issued with a third additional language: Issue, price and validity. The CIE may be requested at  the Italian municipality of residence by Italian citizens and resident aliens. The request is digitally processed and transmitted to the Ministry of Internal Affairs which issues the card in collaboration with the IPZS in Rome. The card is sent to the address specified by the applicant (or else to the municipality) and it should arrive within 6 business days. The costs are: €16.79 for the card issuing and €5.42 for fees charged by the municipality, which may vary (usually doubled) if the previous card was lost, stolen or deteriorated. Starting from 20 September 2019 Italian citizens residing outside  Italy may submit an application for the electronic identity card at an Italian embassy or consulate in European Union, Norway, Monaco, San Marino, Switzerland and Vatican City. The issuing process is the same as in Italy and the card should arrive within 15 days. The costs are: €21.95 in case of renewal or first issue, otherwise €27.11 if the previous card was lost or stolen. Validity. According to the Law 106/2011 the card lasts: and, according to the Law 35/2012, the validity must expire on the applicant's birthday.