As of Thursday, people aged 70 and over in Italy will no longer have to renew their electronic identity cards (Carta d’Identità Elettronica or CIE) every 10 years because the ID will be valid indefinitely (with an administrative validity of 50 years).

The change is part of the Italian government’s “simplification decree,” a broader effort to simplify bureaucracy for citizens.

The rule aims to make life easier for elderly people, as they won’t have to visit their local town hall to renew their identity card every 10 years, while also reducing the workload for local authorities, who will have to handle fewer renewals.

“We really wanted this change to concretely simplify the lives of over ten million people,” said Public Administration Minister Paolo Zangrillo, as reported by ANSA. “The new cards will also maintain their validity for travel abroad,” he added.

The rule applies to everyone who has turned 70 at the time of application, but it is not retroactive, so the over-70s who already have a valid identity card will have to wait until its expiration to renew it and receive a new ID valid indefinitely.

READ ALSO: Explained: How to get an Italian identity card

There is only one caveat: the security certificate in the electronic chip of the identity card, which is used to access online public services such as INPS and the IO App, will still expire every 10 years.

Those who want to continue using those online services will have to ask for an update of the chip, but the physical identity card will remain valid regardless.

The ID card was issued in paper format until 2016, when Italy began replacing it with the electronic version. It is mainly used to verify the holder’s identity during bureaucratic procedures at public administration offices and for travelling.