Millions of Romanians will no longer receive the Identity Electronic Book for free / How to get here and how many chip bulletins have been issued so far

Many Romanians will no longer receive their new electronic identity card. The government approved on August 14, the decrease from 5 million citizens to 3.5 million citizens of the beneficiaries who will receive free of charge the electronic identity card, given that the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI) proposed the reduction of 21 million euros in the PNRR for this project, shows a memorandum adopted on Thursday.

The reason invoked by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was the “security of the investment” and “the efficiency of the use of the funds allocated by the PNR”, “taking into account the systemic fiscal risk that Romania is currently facing”.

A delayed project

Romania had an allocation of 150 million euros, from the grant component, ie non -reimbursable funds, from the recovery and resilience (PNRR) plan, for issuing new electronic identity cards, so -called chip bulletins.

One of the targets assumed in the PNRR in this project, managed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI), was the issuance of 5 million identity cards until June 30, 2026, the deadline for implementing the PNRR, for which the allocated budget was 70 million euros.

The first electronic identity cards were issued in a pilot project in Cluj, in the summer of 2021, but the issuance at national level was delayed for various technical reasons.

The official launch of the new chip bulletins was made only in March this year in Cluj, and the issuance in Bucharest and other cities only from April-August, one year before the deadline for implementing the PNRR.

Only over 430,000 chip bulletins issued so far. What problems are they

In the Memorandum adopted on Thursday by the Government, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, led by Cătălin Predoiu, argues that the initial implementation rhythm was a moderate one, for reasons such as: the novelty of the project that involved the development and operationalization citizens for new documents and variable administrative capacity of local authorities.

• “The punctual analysis of the current situation revealed that the main obstacle is represented by the still low capacity to take over biometric data and requests from citizens. Although the counter network and operational flows have been extended, the current pace is influenced by the limitations of personnel, infrastructure and accessibility for certain categories.
• The analysis of the weekly reports transmitted so far confirms the dynamics of the process of issuing those, as well as the commitment made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, until 28.08.2025, being issued 436,674 electronic identity cards and 467,290 applications taken ”, the document shows.

To overcome these difficulties, in order to accelerate the process of issuing electronic identity cards, he also says he has taken a series of measures such as:

• recommended to the local authorities to take all the steps in order to extend the network of applications (so far, 672 counters), more assistance and technical support for configuring the equipment in order to take the applications for the issuance of electronic identity cards;
• adaptation of the infrastructure from the level of the diplomatic missions and the consular career offices of Romania in order to take over the requests from the Romanian citizens abroad, starting with the fourth quarter;
• implementing the possibility of submitting applications to any splash, already operationalized, which gives citizens more flexibility and contributes to the decongestion of community public services for the record of crowded persons;
• The development of a dedicated mobile application, which is in advanced phase, which will allow the secure reading of the information stored in the chip of the electronic identity card, thus contributing to a better understanding and use of the functionalities that the new document implies.

Caravans for taking over the biometric requests and data

Regarding exceeding the difficulties related to the pace of taking over biometric data and requests from citizens, the following additional measures will be considered:

• the organization of caravans for taking over the biometric requests and data, both in Bucharest and in the territory, in hard -to -reach areas or in the context of cultural and sporting events, on the model of the previous campaigns for the biometric passports. Standardized, with final validation when presenting for the document activation.
• Priority will have people with simple identity cards issued recently, with reduced validity, to ensure the quick transition to those. This measure supports the conformity of Romania to Regulation (EU) 2025/1208, which stipulates that all identity cards must be electronic until August 2031, and the simple documents issued today cannot exceed this date, regardless of the registered deadline;
• Stopping the issuance of identity cards model 1997, in the context of intensifying information and promotion campaigns, who emphasize the simplification of access to public services, data security and the advantages of using the electronic document.

In the context of the above measures, it also estimates that approximately 307,655 identity/monthly electronic books will be issued (daily, we estimate that about 15,382 applications), a number that will allow the target of 3.5 million until 30.06.2026, is shown in Memorandum.

Romania risks financial sanctions of approximately 264 million euros

Finally, he also asked the Government to authorize the conclusion of the legal commitments and the award of the purchase contracts for the implementation of the investment on the Identity Book and the digital signature of the PNRR.

Any delay in implementation or non -implementation of the investment on the electronic identity card (those) and the digital signature would generate a series of major consequences on the digital transformation course and the large -scale adoption, with a major negative and image financial impact, as follows:

• the application by the European Commission of financial sanctions of approximately 264 million euros;
• Image deficit of Romania at European level by missing a strategic investment in the modernization of public services, strengthening the perception of an insufficient commitment to the digital transformation and European interoperability;
• Romania's failure to integrate the opportunity to integrate into the European interoperability process on digital identity, in contradiction with the strategic directions assumed by the PNR and the Digital Decade 2030.