As every year, a huge group of Poles will have to replace their ID cards with new ones. The validity period of documents issued in Poland is 10 years, which is the same as in the case of a passport. A driving license is valid for longer, 15 years. This year, almost 3 million people will have to replace their ID cards.
Great exchange of ID cards. Millions of plastics
The Ministry of Digitization has just revealed that in 2024 alone, ID cards belonging to 2 million 701 thousand people will expire. 799 people. This includes, among others: for people born in 1996 (turned 18 years ago) and everyone who exchanged their ID card for a new one in 2014. It should be noted that the offices themselves do not send us reminders about the need to replace the ID with a new one. You have to remember this yourself. Especially since the penalties for (even unintentional) use of an invalid document are – as the fact reminds – up to PLN 5,000.
Fortunately, technology has recently been able to protect the forgetful from punishment. From mid-2023, the ID card in the mObywatel application is equivalent to a physical ID card. Since September last year, we can also use it in banks. However, it is worth remembering that mID is not a digital copy of a plastic ID, but a separate document with a unique number and a different expiration date.
After the “plastic” expires, it may turn out that there will be a need to re-verify the ID card (e.g. at a bank) and we can actually use the mID for this purpose. However, in the long run, living with just ID on your phone may prove to be troublesome. As the government reminds us on the website regarding mObywatel, mID is not respected in two cases – at the state border (also at the airport) and at the office when submitting an application for a new ID card. The ID card in the application cannot be used outside Poland, including in other European Union countries.
It can therefore be assumed that this year over 2.7 million people will have to check the exact expiry date of their ID and submit an application for a new document in advance. This pool will probably be joined by a group of people who, for various reasons, will want to obtain a new document ahead of time.
Source: Gazeta
Mabel is a talented author and journalist with a passion for all things technology. As an experienced writer for the 247 News Agency, she has established a reputation for her in-depth reporting and expert analysis on the latest developments in the tech industry.
