Skip to main content
Migration and Home Affairs

Definition(s)

A document issued by a State authority to an individual for providing evidence of the identity of that individual.

Source(s)

Developed by EMN

Translations

  • BG: документ за самоличност
  • CS: průkaz totožnosti / doklad totožnosti
  • DE: Identitätsdokument
  • EL: έγγραφο ταυτότητας
  • EN: identity document
  • ES: Documento de identidad
  • ET: isikut tõendav dokument
  • FI: henkilöllisyysasiakirja
  • FR: document d’identité
  • GA: Doiciméad aitheantais
  • HU: személyazonosító okmány
  • IT: documento d’identità
  • LT: asmens tapatybės dokumentas / asmens tapatybę patvirtinantis dokumentas
  • LV: personu apliecinošs dokuments
  • MT: dokument tal-identità
  • NL: identiteitsdocument
  • PT: documento de identidade
  • RO: document de identitate
  • SK: identifikačný doklad / doklad totožnosti
  • SL: osebni dokument
  • SV: identitetshandling
  • NO: identitetsdokument
  • KA: პირადობის დამადასტურებელი დოკუმენტი
  • UK: документ, що посвідчує особу

Synonym(s)

  • ID card
  • ID document
  • Identity card

Related Term(s)

Note(s)

1. An identity document asserts a unique single civil identity and defines such person’s identity in relation to the issuing state. It may contain the full name, parents’ names, age, date and place of birth, sex, address, profession, nationality as well as other biographic information, and additional electronic biometric data such as fingerprints, photographs, and face, hand, or iris measurements.
2. Identity documents are e.g. identity cards or passports. In some EU Member States, such as UK driving licences, showing a photo of the holder, their date of birth and their home address, are used as general proof of identity.
3. Currently there is no EU-wide identity document, all EU Member States except DK and IE and issue identity documents on a national basis.