The identity card allows French people to travel without a passport in all states of the European Union and in certain European countries around the Mediterranean. In many cases, even an expired CNI can be sufficient.
It is not because the validity date has passed that an identity card is destined for the trash. As a reminder, if it was issued before January 1, 2014 and you were an adult at that time, its validity period increased from 10 to 15 years. specifies the Ministry of the Interior.
Thus, an apparently expired CNI but whose validity has been extended allows travel to the following countries: Andorra, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Czech Republic, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Turkey and Tunisia (only for dual nationals or people participating in group trips organized by a tourism professional).
four countries refuse “expired” cards
Other countries have not officially communicated their position but usually tolerate “expired” identity cards: Germany, Austria, Cyprus, Denmark, Spain, Finland, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Sweden, Liechtenstein, Vatican, Albania, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt.
Please note, four countries do not accept “expired” identity cards, even if their validity period has been automatically extended by five years. These are Belgium, Lithuania, Romania and Norway.
“In order to avoid any inconvenience during your trip, you are strongly recommended to favor the use of a valid passport over an identity card with an expired expiry date, even if it is considered by the French authorities as still being valid,” advises the site of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
To avoid any unforeseen events at the airport, it is best to consult the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (France Diplomacy) in advance to check if the country you are going to applies the 2014 law. On this same site, you can print an explanatory sheet available in several languages to show in the event of a problem on arrival. Finally, if your departure is not imminent, you can always request early renewal of your identity card, provided you can prove your intention to travel and do not hold a valid passport.