Czech national identity card

Czech national identity card (Občanský průkaz)
The new ID1 format Czech identity card (with chip )
Date first issued	2012-01-01
Issued by	Czech Republic
Valid in	Czech Republic  Europe (except Belarus, Kosovo (?), Russia, Turkey and Ukraine) French overseas territories Georgia
Type of document	Identity card, optional replacement for passport in the listed countries

The Czech national identity card (Czech: Občanský průkaz, literally civic certificate; Czech pronunciation: [ˈoptʃanskiː ˈpɾuːkas]) is the identity document used in the Czech Republic (and formerly in Czechoslovakia), in addition to the Czech passport. It is issued to all citizens, and every person above 15 years of age permanently living in the Czech Republic is required by law to hold a valid identity card.

It is possible to use the ID card for travel within Europe (except Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey) as well as Georgia instead of a passport.

The first mandatory identity document was introduced during the German occupation, on 17 March 1939 in a decree made by Reichsprotektor Konstantin von Neurath. This document was based on the model of a similar document already in use in the Third Reich and included a photograph. Known as a legitimace, it was often nicknamed kennkarta.

During the communist regime (1948–89) this simple card developed into a booklet dozens of pages long. It contained such personal details as employment history and vaccination records.

To acquire the machine-readable version of the card, a citizen must present either a currently valid card (in case of renewals), or a birth certificate and proof of citizenship. A photograph is made at the premises of the issuing authority; the form is filled out by an employee of the issuing authority and only requires the signature of the applicant.