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Identity document facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

An identity document is any document that may be used to prove a person's identity. If issued in a small, standard credit card size form, it is usually called an identity card (IC, ID card, citizen card) or passport card. Some countries issue formal identity documents as national identification cards.

Many countries require all foreigners to have a passport or national identity card from their home country available at all times if they do not have a residence permit in the country.

The shape and size of identity cards were standardized in 1985 by ISO/IEC 7810. Some modern identity documents are smart cards including a difficult-to-forge embedded integrated circuit that were standardized in 1988 by ISO/IEC 7816. New technologies allow identity cards to contain biometric information, such as a photograph; face, hand, or iris measurements; or fingerprints. Many countries now issue electronic identity cards.

Identity cards allow officials to look up security data on a person in the host country's information system. Photos of the person's head are scanned into the system to prevent identity theft. A scanned photograph of the face gives a unique series of numbers which identifies that particular individual.

The earliest identity document was written into law by King Henry V of England with the Safe Conducts Act 1414. For the next 500 years and before World War I, most people did not have or need an identity document.

Images for kids

  • Carte d'identité tunisienne recto2

    The Tunisian identity card

  • ZA Smart ID Front

    The front of the South African Smart ID

  • ZA Smart ID Reverse

    The reverse of the South African Smart ID

  • Indonesian identity card

    Indonesian national identity card

  • The Example of the Biometric Teudat Zehut front side

    Israeli biometric national identity card

  • KuwaitiID

    Front and reverse of the Kuwaiti national identity card

  • Macau ID card 2013

    Front of the Macau identity card

  • Macau ID card back 2013

    Reverse of the Macau identity card

  • National Identity Card (Nepal)

    Biometric Nepalese identity card

  • Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) card sample

    Philippine identity card.

  • ROC mibunsho

    ID card issued in Taiwan

  • Thai National ID card 2017 version

    Thai national identity card

  • New Austrian ID Card (2021)

    Current Austrian identity card.

  • New Belgian ID (2021) (front)

    Belgian national identity card

  • Bulgarian identity card

    Bulgarian ID card

  • Nova osobna iskaznica 2021

    Croatian ID card specimen

  • New Estonian ID card (2021)(front)

    Estonian identity document in 2021.

  • Carte identité électronique française (2021, recto)

    Front of the French identity card specimen as of 2021.

  • Carte identité électronique française (2021, verso)

    Back of the French identity card specimen as of 2021.

  • Deutscher Personalausweis (2021 Version)

    Specimen of a German identity card issued since 2019.

  • Greek ID Card-Front

    Greek ID card (front)

  • Greek ID Card-Back

    Greek ID card (back)

  • The renewed hungarian ID

    Front of a Hungarian national ID card

  • HunIDback

    Back of a Hungarian national ID card

  • Italian electronic ID card

    Italian ID card since 2016 (front).

  • Italian electronic ID card (back)

    Italian ID card since 2016 (back).

  • Latvia-ID (Front)

    Current Latvian identity document.

  • B-llv-apa-id-karte

    Current Liechtensteiner identity document.

  • Nederlandse identiteitskaart 2021-II (Voorkant)

    Dutch identity document, (anverse).

  • Nederlandse identiteitskaart 2021-II (Rug)

    Dutch identity document, (back).

  • New Norwegian ID Card (2021) (Front)

    Front of a Norwegian national ID card

  • DowodOsobisty2021Awers

    Polish identity document, (anverse).

  • Cartão de Cidadão Português

    Front of a Portuguese national ID card

  • New Romanian ID Card (2021)

    Specimen of a Romanian identity card issued since 2021.

  • Slovenian ID Card 2022 - Front

    Slovenian identity document.

  • Nya svensk ID

    Swedish identity document.

  • Leternjoftimi shqiptar biometrik..

    Albanian electronic ID Card 2009

  • Bosnian ID card B

    Bosnian identity card

  • Montenegrin identity card

    Montenegrin national ID card

  • Macedonian id

    The Macedonian identity card

  • RussianPassport

    Russian Domestic Passport: front

  • Pasport RF

    Russian Domestic Passport: Photo, Dates and Signature page

  • ChippedSerbianID face

    Serbian national ID card

  • TR Nat ID Card Front

    Turkish identity card

  • Passport of the Citizen of Ukraine (Since 2016)

    Ukrainian identity card

  • UK under 16 ID card from 1946

    UK child identity card from 1946

  • Passport card

    US passport card (front)

  • Ppt card back

    US passport card (back)

  • 18+ Card New Zealand

    New Zealand 18+ card

  • DNI Argentina 2020 Frente

    Current front side of Argentine DNI Card

  • Novo-modelo-Carteira-Identidade-RG-Brasil-2023-modelo-papel-moeda

    Model of the Brazilian identity card, as of 2023.

  • Documento de Identidad de Colombia - 2020 (reverso)

    Current Colombian identity document.

  • El ejemplo de Cedula identidad Chile 2013

    Chilean Cédula de Identidad

  • DNI peruano - frente (Modelo 2020)

    Peruvian Documento Nacional de Identidad. (2020 version, front)

  • DNI peruano - reverso (Modelo 2020)

    (back)

  • Cédula de Identidad electrónica de Uruguay - Frente

    Uruguayan Cédula de Identidad

  • EXAMPLEVENEZUELANID

    Current ID card issued by the Government of Venezuela.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Documento de identidad para niños

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Identity document Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.