Having your identity card on your mobile phone has been possible thanks to France Idété since February 2024. This new application allows you to create a secure digital duplicate of your identity card or your driving license. In the long term, it aims to replace the paper document. But in recent weeks, this did not seem certain at the SNCF. Several users have complained about fines after checks where they wanted to prove their identity with this application.
After numerous questions from Internet users on social networks, the French railway company decided to get up to date. It was the director of the TGV and Intercités branch, Alain Krakovitch, who announced it on May 28 on the X network (formerly Twitter).
2,000 captains must adapt
Until then, only original identity documents were considered as proof of identity by SNCF controllers. The general conditions of sale of SNCF Voyageurs were also clear on this subject and had been confirmed several times by SNCF management in recent months on social networks: “The traveler holding a Printed ticket or an e-ticket must be able to prove their identity. Indeed, the e-ticket and the printed ticket being nominative, personal and non-transferable, the traveler is likely to have to present, to any inspector making the request, a valid original identity document with photo (card of identity, passport, driving license or residence card) in addition to their e-ticket confirmation or their e-ticket compatible card or their m-ticket. » And to add that “copies of identity documents (paper, scanned documents, etc.) are not admitted.”
If the announcement of this new rule for proof of identity is official and communication with agents has begun, the director of TGV and Intercités has nevertheless warned that there is “2,000 captains who must adapt”.
The general conditions of sale of May 2024 do not yet mention the France Identity application. Until the measure is applied by all inspectors, it is better to continue to travel with traditional identity papers with you to avoid disappointments during an SNCF inspection.
