Entrust’s new 2026 Identity Fraud Report – The Changing Face of Fraud highlights how national ID cards have become the soft underbelly of global identity systems. Compared with ePassports and many driving licences, ID cards often carry fewer physical and digital security features and can be governed by less stringent issuance processes. As a result, they represent a disproportionate share of fraudulent ID documents detected in remote onboarding and KYC checks, making them a key target for organised crime.

Germany has begun preparing for a phased transition to a quantum-secure national identity card, aiming to safeguard the cryptographic integrity of its identity infrastructure against future quantum threats. The initiative is a collaboration between the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community, Bundesdruckerei, G+D, Infineon Technologies AG, and the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI).

The momentum behind national electronic identity (eID) programmes continues with countries across Africa, Central America, Southeast Asia, and Europe moving ahead at different stages of implementation.

The Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) has announced the introduction of a new identity document for asylum seekers in the second half of 2025. Revealed at Identity Week in Amsterdam, the new ID card aligns with updated ICAO standards for vertically oriented identity cards. This layout allows for a significantly larger portrait image, improving manual identity verification by frontline officials.

The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has issued a public reminder that retail membership cards — including those issued by Costco, a US-based warehouse club and wholesale retailer — do not constitute valid identity documents for use at airport security checkpoints.

In an article recently published in Securing Industry, Dr Mark Deakes, chair of the new International Optical Technologies Association (IOTA), sets out how optical technologies are spearheading efforts to protect identity documents.

After nearly two decades of delays, the US is set to enforce the REAL ID Act on 7 May 2025. This legislation, passed in 2005 in response to the 9/11 Commission's recommendations, aims to standardise the issuance of state identification documents to enhance national security. However, its implementation has been fraught with challenges, including logistical hurdles, political resistance, and privacy concerns.

On 15 April, Peru’s National Registry of Identification and Civil Status (RENIEC) officially introduced the DNI 3.0 electronic national identity card.

Estonia has ceased to recognise Russian non- biometric foreign passports, a move that directly impacts the eligibility of Russian citizens seeking entry or visas. As announced by Estonia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, from 31 March 2025, holders of non- biometric Russian passports are no longer permitted to enter Estonia nor apply for an Estonian Schengen visa.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) provides globally recognised specifications for machine-readable travel documents (MRTDs), including national identity cards. As digital identity becomes central to secure border control and civil verification systems, the layout and design of ID cards – particularly their orientation – have gained attention.