New way for travellers to show identity now accepted on some French trains
Digital QR code can be used by many (but not all) passengers instead of physical ID and ticket
The trial will expand in the coming weeks to cover more services
Henry Sy John / Shutterstock
Passengers on certain trains in France are now able to show a digital QR code of their ID to an inspector when required.
People travelling on InOui trains – traditional high-speed TGV services – can prove their identity through a QR code generated by the France Identité application (see below who can use this).
This QR code contains all of the information held on a French carte d’identité required when purchasing a train ticket, which is the passenger’s full name and date of birth.
Scanning the code allows the inspector to see if this information corresponds to that of the person who should be sitting in that seat according to ticket sale information they have, without also having to scan their train ticket.
The trial has been in operation since January 20 and will run exclusively on InOui trains for a few weeks before being accepted across more SNCF-operated trains later in the year.
A valid ticket must still be purchased to travel along the route, but will not need to be checked by the inspector if they scan the QR code.
You may still need to scan the ticket (either via a physical version or through your phone) to go through ticket barriers present at the station.
Inspectors will still accept other, valid methods of ID including physical versions of French ID cards, passports, and French residency cards, in which case they may need to manually check your ticket.
Other physical forms of ID that are widely accepted, such as carte Vitale health cards, in other domains are not accepted forms of ID on French trains.
Read more: What documents must you carry on French train to avoid a fine?
Who can use France Identité?
Digital ID via the France Identité app has been accepted on certain SNCF trains since June 2024, but it was still required to present the entire digital document via the app, as well as your ticket.
This simplified QR code provides only the necessary information, and can be scanned by a ticket inspector via their devices instead of requiring a person to manually hand their phone or piece of physical ID over to be checked.
A step-by-step guide on how to use the new system to generate a QR code is available when opening the France Identité app and going to the page with your French ID card, as well as on the France Identité website.
Note, however, that the application can only host French ID cards from after 2021, as well as digital versions of certain French driving licences.
It does not host passports or residency cards of any kind, meaning only people with French nationality can use this app.
Read more: Explained: what is the official France Identité app and can foreigners use it?
Former prime minister Michel Barnier announced plans for a digitised version of the carte Vitale health card to be hosted through the application at the end of 2024, set to go live in 2025.
However an official launch date is yet to be announced.
It is also unknown if this will allow the app to be more widely available to those without a modern French ID card or driving licence.
Read more: How FranceConnect simplifies online admin tasks for residents in France
